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Kennedys has spent the past decade quietly doing something many law firms talk about but few achieve: building a genuinely global practice. Now the insurance and disputes specialist has smashed through the £450 million revenue barrier, with North America and Asia Pacific driving double-digit growth as the firm edges closer to its ambitious $1 billion turnover target.
Founded in 1899, Kennedys has evolved from a specialist insurance practice into a global disputes powerhouse with offices across almost 50 countries.
Its growth has been driven by an aggressive North American expansion, strategic office launches and involvement in some of the world’s largest litigation and insurance disputes, from Russia aircraft claims and Greensill litigation to PFAS liabilities and major sports concussion actions.
The firm has more than tripled revenue over the past decade and remains firmly focused on reaching its ambitious US$1 billion revenue target by 2030.
The firm’s media statement on its recent growth is below –
We have reported strong financial results for FY26, with global revenue rising to £457m, representing a 9.1% increase on FY25.
This marks our 12th consecutive year of growth, driven by continued investment in key strategic markets. North America and APAC delivered particularly strong performances, with revenue up 22.5% and 20.3% respectively. Together, the two regions now account for 43.7% of global revenue, demonstrating our growing international strength.
The UK remains the largest region, generating £215m in revenue and representing 47% of the global total, with steady growth of 3.6%. EMEA and LATAM contributed a combined 9.2% of annual revenue.
John Bruce, Senior Partner (pictured) says, “Delivering another year of strong growth reflects the strength of our global offering and the confidence our clients place in us. We are particularly encouraged by the pace of expansion in North America and APAC, both of which are central to our long-term strategy.
Our ongoing growth strategy is about building a stronger, broader and more connected firm. That means developing further our comprehensive insurance offering, expanding our service lines and strengthening our global footprint so that we are present, scalable and responsive in the markets that matter most to our clients.
We are also investing in our global Corporate & Commercial practice that further supports our insurer clients.”
Contributing towards our growth, we have led on landmark international cases including:
- Global: The firm is heavily involved in claims arising from the Middle East conflict across marine, aviation, political violence and trade credit sectors.
- UK: Ongoing representation of KCTMO and its senior executives in the largest police investigation arising from the Grenfell Tower case.
- UK: Defending Welsh Water in group claims arising from alleged river pollution, in what has been reported as the UK’s largest environmental group action.
- US: Serving as counsel of record for insurers in the National Football League (NFL) head-trauma related coverage litigation involving a $1.4billon + settlement fund.
Meg Catalano, Global Managing Partner adds, “These results demonstrate the progress we are making against our global growth ambitions. But success is not just about the numbers. It is also about capability, culture, client impact and long-term resilience. Our ambitions give us a clear shared direction and unite the firm around a common plan for sustainable growth.”
In May, we expanded our global partnership to 359 representing the seventh consecutive year of double-digit partner promotions. We also recently appointed a new CIO, alongside new leadership in APAC.
John concludes, “Looking ahead, our goal is to reach USD 1 billion in global turnover by the end of FY31. This reflects our commitment to meeting our clients’ changing needs, driving growth while maintaining the unique culture that sets Kennedys apart. To achieve this, we are investing further in our people, processes, and infrastructure, ensuring Kennedys is future-ready and distinguished by the exceptional client service we provide.
Our people are at the heart of this journey. Success depends on our people strategy, which is rooted in our culture and values and places diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellbeing at the centre.”
