DAC Beachcroft has set up its first representative office in the US, with the launch of a New York base to support its international network.

The office, which opened yesterday (20 January), will be used to promote the firm's insurance work, particularly in Latin America, and will focus on litigation and arbitration work, while also handling some corporate and regulatory matters.

The launch is part of a strategic alliance with Manhattan-based specialist insurance firm Abrams Gorelick Friedman & Jacobson (AGF&J) which involves the two outfits working together in New York and London.

For DAC, the office will be staffed by a rotating cast of partners drawn from its international network. These will include head of insurance David Pollitt, head of global Paulino Fajardo, and Mexican chief Francisco Fernandes-Fletes.

"We know there are opportunities for the firm on the other side of the Atlantic," said DAC managing partner Paul Murray. "This base will allow us to build relationships in North America, which is another important step toward our long-term goal of becoming the leading international provider of legal services to the insurance sector."

Pollitt added: "New York is a very important market for many of our insurance clients. We already have a number of strong relationships with major international insurers. They are increasingly more interested in our unique global offering, particularly in relation to our own-office Latin America coverage where we now have a formidable presence in Chile, Colombia and Mexico. This new representative office in New York brings us closer to them and will provide us with the platform we need to better service their requirements internationally."

Glenn Jacobson, partner at AGF&J, commented: "We know DAC Beachcroft very well having worked together on a number of international insurance matters for clients. We feel positive about working more closely together in both New York and London, two of the most important insurance markets in the world, and we are confident that our clients will benefit from this alliance."