DWF raids Kennedys to expand insurance offering in Middle East

Law firm  DWF has expanded its insurance disputes and coverage expertise in the Middle East with the appointment of two new insurance partners in Dubai.

Victoria Clucas (pictured left) and Bill Evans (pictured right) have joined DWF from Kennedys. They have a combined 30 years of experience running large loss insurance claims and coverage disputes. Their arrival will significantly bolster the insurance team across the Middle East.

The duo will work alongside insurance partner Brian Boahene who has over 16 years of experience working in the region. DWF has a full service insurance team in the Middle East.

Clucas has over 13 years of experience advising Insurers and Reinsurers on complex and large loss Property, Energy and Construction claims and coverage disputes, across the Middle East and Africa, Europe and the UK. For the first ten years of her career Clucas worked in the London Insurance Market, relocating to the Middle East in 2020.

Evans qualified as a solicitor in Australia in 2006 before joining Kennedys in 2008. He spent 12 years working in the London Market and has divided his time between Dubai and London since 2020. Evans specialises in handling complex, high value Property, Energy and Construction claims across the UK, EMEA and APAC.

David Abbott, global head of London Markets at DWF, said: "Victoria and Bill's arrival marks a step change in our London Market offering and is further evidence of our commitment to the Middle East region. I am thrilled they are joining us, just as we bring together more than 1,600 insurance sector specialists into our new Insurance Services division, supporting our strategy of providing integrated legal and business services on a global scale."

Clucas commented: "I am really excited to join DWF at a time when the business is investing heavily in developing a client focused, high performance global insurance team. The Middle East is a key hub for insurance and investing in the region now is so important for the future of our offering. I also see clear synergies between DWF's values and my own given that the business has such a strong client first approach. It is exciting to be part of a firm with clear and achievable global strategies, where collaboration is key and development and mentoring of staff is at the heart of the business."

Evans added: "I am delighted to join the DWF team and look forward to collaborating with Victoria, Brian and our global London Market team to build the international practice with particular focus on the MENA and the GCC regions. I am convinced that DWF's approach to its international offering, with a strong focus on delivering specialist service across product lines is in the best interests of our insurer clients."

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