The Brazilian office is in São Paulo and will be led by Fabio Torres. Mr Torres joins Kennedys as a partner from local firm TM Law, where he was a founding partner.

TM Law specialises in civil, commercial and corporate law with a focus on the insurance industry and has offices Rio de Janeiro and São Paolo. The two firms have worked in association in Brazil for a number of years and Kennedys said in a statement that the relationship will continue.

Lima, Peru

The firm’s second office will be in Lima and will be led by Marco Rivera Noya, who joins as a partner from Peruvian firm Osterling Abogados. Associate Jorge Mere has transferred from Kennedys’ Miami office to support Mr Noya, while attorneys Noriko Hasegawa and Alonso Barreda will also work as part of Kennedys’ Peru team.

The Lima office will focus on insurance and reinsurance with an emphasis on regulatory matters and arbitration.

The next stage

Kennedys senior partner Nick Thomas commented: ‘These are strategically important moves for Kennedys and add to our already considerable capabilities across Latin America,’ adding that ‘after six years in Miami the next stage is to also establish offices in the most important Latin American jurisdictions.’

The firm’s international strategy has seen it grow in Latin America and the US in recent years, having gained the ability to practice US law for the first time in January after making two hires to its Miami office. It also entered into an association with Chilian insurance boutique Sateler Deolo Diemoz Avogados in April 2015 and Buenos Aires-based Alberto Bunge & Asociados, which specialises in complex insurance and reinsurance matters, in January.