Kennedys has boosted its London corporate and commercial team with a twin partner hire from DLA Piper and Cripps.
The incoming duo – corporate crime and investigations specialist Will White and corporate lawyer Lowri Jones – arrive a week after Kennedys announced a 20-strong partner promotions round.
White’s practice focuses on financial crime matters, including bribery, fraud and money laundering. He joins the firm from DLA Piper, where he spent more than nine years, having worked at Macfarlanes for eight years beforehand.
He advises clients on compliance matters, including whistleblowing, modern slavery and workplace misconduct. His work includes advisory, internal investigations and regulatory engagement for UK and international clients across sectors such as finance, entertainment, sport and retail.
Jones brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate and M&A transactions and joins from Cripps, where she built a practice advising insurance intermediaries and other regulated businesses, having closed more than 100 deals in the insurance and financial services sectors.
The move boosts the firm’s non-contentious insurance practice, bringing it closer to City rivals specialising in such transactions. She leaves Cripps after 10 years, having made partner in 2022. She previously worked in-house and at Womble Bond Dickinson.
Andy Brown, global co-head of Kennedys’ corporate and commercial practice and UK divisional head, said: “The continued growth of our practice is a strategic priority for the firm, and the arrival of Lowri and Will strengthens our capabilities in two important areas.”
He added that the appointments deepened the firm’s bench in this area, having also hired disputes lawyer and barrister Samson Spanier as a partner from Norton Rose Fulbright in February.
White said: “With strong demand for straightforward advice on both financial crime matters and the ever-expanding corporate compliance landscape, I look forward to working with colleagues across the global firm to support clients facing these challenges.”
Jones added: “With the firm’s deep understanding of the insurance sector, international reach and growing corporate and commercial capabilities, Kennedys provides an exciting platform to support clients across transactions and broader corporate advisory matters.”
The lateral arrivals come shortly after its annual promotions round, which saw the seventh consecutive year of double-digit promotions in a 20-strong round, albeit one fewer than last year. This year’s cohort brings the global partner count to 359.
Four of the promoted partners were women, a sharp drop from eight a year ago.
The US led the round, with 10 new partners across Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Wilmington, New Jersey and New York, re-emphasising the firm’s increasing accent on US business.
Nine partners were promoted in the UK: four in London, two in Manchester and one each in Bristol and Newcastle. This brought the UK partnership to eight in total, one less than in 2025, with the majority based in London. One partner was promoted in Hong Kong and one in Sydney.
Kennedys’ global managing partner, Meg Catalano, said: “This is an exceptional group of individuals whose appointments come at an exciting and transformational phase for the firm. Each of our new partners will play an important role in advancing our global growth strategy and enhancing the value we deliver to our clients worldwide.”
Senior partner John Bruce added: “This year’s cohort brings a wealth of talent and expertise to the partnership, and I look forward to working together to support our clients and realise our growth ambitions.
“We continue to build enduring strength across our global footprint, ensuring we are well-positioned to help clients navigate evolving challenges.”
The full list of partners promoted is listed below:
APAC
Vienne Cheung, Hong Kong
Mairead Cusack, Sydney
North America
Josh Patrick, Chicago
Jordan Lewis, Fort Lauderdale
Miguel Fernandez, Miami
Justin King, Miami
Brandon Sipple, New Jersey
Dean Aronin, New York
Ian Antonoff, New York
Kristiana Zuccarini, New York
Thomas Russell, New York
Matthew Nelson, Wilmington
UK
Beth Cara, Bristol
David Robinson, London
George Veale, London
Sam Mason, London
Will Healy, London
Geoff Shreeve, Manchester
John Lambert, Manchester
Mark Cordingley, Newcastle
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