Keoghs announce 20 promotions and four new appointments

New partners Ben Leech and Heather Ford top the internal promotions, alongside 18 freshly appointed associates.

Ben Leech has more than 10 years’ experience dealing with fraudulent claims, and has been at the forefront of Keoghs’ late claims strategy which won Claims Initiative of the Year at the 2016 British Insurance Awards and Independent Fraud Investigation Team of the Year at last year’s Insurance Fraud Awards.

Heather Ford leads Keoghs’ property recoveries team and has frequently advised on high profile property damage cases. She has a particular expertise in recovery claims, product liability, subsidence claims and liability disputes; regularly delivering lectures to clients on these specialist areas.

The 18 new associates are Liam Murphy, Marsha Godwin, Stuart Hunt, Rebecca Williams, Charlotte Smith, Bill Dunkerley, John Feely, Sunil Kler, Nicola Bignell, Margaret McQuaid, Ian Toft, Gemma Wilkinson, Jessica Swire, Kiren Sunner, Matt Wheeler, Stephen Holmes, Jennifer Sherbourne and Craig Johnson.

Further to these promotions, Keoghs has continued its growth strategy with four new appointments.

New partner, Marise Gellert, is joined by associates Gemma Rush and Nina Dhillon in the firm’s London office, whilst Laura Baxendale, also an associate, joins the Keoghs Scotland team in Glasgow.

Marise Gellert has worked within the insurance industry since qualifying as a solicitor in 1990 and specialises in the recovery and defence of property damage claims in addition to advising on policy coverage issues. She has a particular expertise in the construction and electrical industries.

Associates Gemma Rush and Nina Dhillon expand the firm’s crime and regulatory presence in London, providing a wealth of experience advising parties who are being investigated or prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive and other regulatory bodies. Nina is also an expert in dealing with prosecutions arising from serious road traffic incidents.

In Glasgow, the appointment of new associate Laura Baxendale continues Keoghs Scotland’s rapid growth. Laura will deliver expertise in resolving complex and high value commercial disputes across a range of sectors including engineering, architecture, surveying, accountancy, brokers and IFAs, as well as construction contractors’ claims.

Commenting on the appointments, Keoghs Chief Executive, John Whittle, said;

“A huge congratulations to all those at Keoghs who have earned promotion this year. We pride ourselves on aiding the development of our people, and all 20 new partners and associates have worked incredibly hard to help Keoghs maintain its status as a leader in its field.”

I would also like to welcome the four new additions to our London and Glasgow teams, as we continue to grow our bases in these areas. All have an exceptional level of expertise and will provide valuable assistance to our clients, not only in Scotland and London, but right across the UK.”