Bruce commences in the role on January 25, 2025
International firm Kennedys has elected global financial lines practice lead John Bruce as senior partner.
Bruce takes up the mantle on January 25, 2025. He replaces Nick Thomas, who was in the position for 27 years.
“I am honoured to have been elected as senior partner for Kennedys. I look forward to working with our executive group and the wider partnership to maintain Kennedys’ position as the law firm of choice for the global insurance market and related sectors,” Bruce said.
He was selected for the leadership position in a formal election process that involved all 349 of the firm’s global partners. He will hold the role for the next five years.
“I have worked with John for a long time, and I have every confidence in his abilities as I hand over the baton. John has many years of exceptional legal expertise, and I believe that he will be an extraordinary leader for the firm,” Thomas said.
Based in London, Bruce has mainly tackled insurance coverage instructions and defence work. He has worked on high-value and complex matters related to financial institutions, directors’ and officers’, crime, professional indemnity and pension trustee liability policies. His clients have included financial and other professionals, directors and officers, asset managers, independent financial advisers, and corporate service providers.
As a part of the Caribbean practice team, he has handled claims from Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. He is also the only lawyer representative on the London Market Association’s Financial Institutions Underwriting Business Panel.
Bruce will be collaborating with recently appointed global managing partner Meg Catalano, who took up the role on November 1 as the first global managing partner the firm has appointed from outside the UK, as well as other members of the executive group.
According to Kennedys, he steps into the role during a period when the firm logged strong annual results for the financial year 2023-2024 and expanded its presence in the US.
