Clyde & Co has hired a team of 15 insurance and litigation partners from beleaguered US firm Sedgwick, ahead of the firm's closure in January.

The new partners are primarily based across the US West Coast, with 12 partners joining from Sedgwick's San Francisco, Los Angeles and Orange County offices. These include the chair of Sedgwick's insurance division, Ralph Guirgis, and Sedgwick's Los Angeles managing partner James Holmes.

Clydes has also picked up one partner apiece from Sedgwick's New York, Miami and Chicago offices.

The additions boost Clydes' US partnership by about one third – taking total partner count to more than 60, across 10 US offices.

In addition to the partners, Clydes is also taking on 30 lawyers and about 35 other staff from Sedgwick, including a Kansas City shared services team comprising finance, IT and other business services staff.

Clydes senior partner Simon Konsta said: "We have been growing in the United States for nearly 12 years and the addition of these 15 partners complements our existing West Coast and national business. These partners are all focused on core areas of practice that complement our objectives in North America, as well as our strategic ambition of being pre-eminent in our chosen sectors in any market in which we operate."

Clydes San Francisco managing partner and chair of the firm's US board, Bill Casey, added: "This is a close-knit team that we have known for some time. They will help us build our insurance, trial and litigation capabilities, particularly in northern and southern California, and further enhances our ability to provide our US and international clients with nationwide services."

Legal Week reported earlier this month that Clydes was in talks to bring in up to 23 Sedgwick partners across the West Coast, after hiring two San Francisco insurance litigators from the US firm – Bruce Celebrezze and Alexander Potente.

Sedgwick announced last month that it would be shuttering operations early in 2018, following a deluge of partner exits. The firm has lost more than 40% of its lawyers within the past year, according to ALM Legal Intelligence.

Clydes US hires from Sedgwick in full

Orange County

Ralph Guirgis – chair of Sedgwick's insurance division

Margaret Holm – healthcare litigation

Curtis Parvin – business litigation

Sean Simpson – commercial insurance

Los Angeles

Craig Barnes – catastrophic loss litigation

Alison Beanum – negligence litigation

James Holmes – office managing partner of Los Angeles office and intellectual property litigation

Susan Koehler Sullivan – commercial litigation

San Francisco

Bruce Celebrezze – insurance litigation

Brian Harrison – insurance litigation

Martin O'Leary – professional liability insurance

Alexander Potente – commercial litigation

New York

Katelin O'Rourke Gorman – director and officers coverage

Miami

Alfred Warrington – insurance litigation

Chicago

Catalina Sugayan – insurance