Keoghs gets step closer to buying Hill Dickinson’s insurance business division

Keoghs is one step closer to acquiring Hill Dickinson’s insurance business group after the two firms exchanged contracts on the deal.

The deal will see 16 Hill Dickinson partners and 400 other fee earners and business services staff based in Liverpool, London and Manchester transferring to Keoghs by the end of January 2018. As well as adding staff and services to its existing offices in London and Manchester, Keoghs will gain a presence in Liverpool, where it will sub-let premises from Hill Dickinson as part of the transaction.

Keoghs has said that the acquisition will see it gain strength in three key areas: professional and financial risk; abuse work in high-profile, complex and sensitive claims; and corporate risk.

Hill Dickinson will continue to run its marine insurance and clinical negligence work.

John Whittle, the chief executive officer of Keoghs (pictured above and below), said: “When combined with our recent office openings in Southampton, London and Glasgow, this acquisition is the latest investment to enable us to deliver on our vision of becoming the pre-eminent legal services provider for the UK insurance industry.

“In the current climate of consolidation within insurance law, investment in people, technology and infrastructure are the key factors to enable success. Keoghs are at the forefront of driving market change and are determined to put clear blue water between us and our competitors.”

Peter Jackson,Hill Dickinson’s chief executive, said that he believed that the move would be a benefit for the partners and staff involved, as Keoghs was a firm that focuses on insurance and had invested heavily in infrastructure to service clients “effectively and efficiently”.

“Furthermore, it will also allow us to focus our resource and efforts on areas of future strategic growth in our core business areas of health, marine and commercial, whilst at the same time maintaining close relationships with Keoghs to provide an enhanced offering to our retained clients who require insurance-related advice,” said Jackson.

Mark Dugdale