Law firm snags team of insurance partners from rival

Law firm Clyde & Co. has recruited a team of 10 partners and support staff from rival Troutman Sanders L.L.P. and established offices in Chicago and Washington.

London-based Clyde, which first opened offices in the United States 11 years ago, has a significant insurance practice globally.

The six partners joining in Washington are: Jack Gerstein, David Gische, Leslie Ahari, Meredith Werner, Patrick Hofer and Gaby Richeimer.

In Chicago, four partners are joining: Eileen King Bower, Clint Cameron, David Cutter and James Sanders.

About 90% of Clyde’s U.S. practice is focused on insurance and the firm has about 50 partners in the U.S., said James Burns, head of Americas at Clyde in San Francisco. The Troutman Sanders team brings significant experience in representing insurers in coverage disputes over directors and officers liability insurance, long-tail liability coverage and other insurance litigation, he said.

The addition of the new partners and offices will help Clyde meet the needs of the its insurer clients, said Michael Knoerzer, partner in Clyde’s New York office.

“If insurers are international, then insurance law firms should try and be international as well. The place where Clyde & Co. has previously punched under its weight has been in the United States and that’s why (the firm), as part of its core strategy, has grown so much recently in the United States to mirror its clients,” he said.