Lisbon, Portugal / Photo: Luca Galuzzi

Kennedys has strengthened its presence in Portugal, merging with boutique law firm N. Maldonado Sousa & Associados.

Nuno Maldonado Sousa, the Portuguese firm's only partner, will join Kennedys as a partner along with two associates, Gabriela Rei and Carla Almeida Cruz.

Maldonado Sousa founded his firm in 1994. His team focuses on corporate and commercial law, real estate and construction, and employment and life sciences.

Kennedys opened its Lisbon office in 2011. It specialises in insurance and reinsurance, including financial lines, products liability, professional liability, marine, aviation, directors and officers liability, as well as insolvency and banking, employment and regulatory matters.

Trevor Davies, a Kennedys partner in London, said the firm had wanted to bring in a "known player" by merging with the Portuguese firm.

The merger will bring the headcount in Lisbon to 10.

"I am delighted to welcome Nuno and his team into Kennedys," senior partner Nick Thomas said in a statement. "We're always keen to strengthen our offices where it will benefit our clients. Nuno and his team will play an important part in strengthening our corporate and commercial capabilities across Europe."

Paulo Almeida, partner and head of Kennedys' Lisbon office, said the experience that Maldonado Sousa and his team bring to the Lisbon office complements the firm's existing insurance work. "Their arrival also adds additional expertise to our global practices that are relevant to our insurer clients, such as life sciences," he said.

Maldonado Sousa said Kennedys is highly regarded in the Portuguese market and across Europe. "Along with my colleagues Gabriela and Carla, I am excited to be joining and I look forward to working with the firm's existing clients on commercial matters in Portugal, across Europe and elsewhere," he said.

Kennedys, which earns 85% of its revenue from the insurance sector, has 18 offices and almost 1,400 staff across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The firm added a partner, Celine Abi Habib Kanakri, to its Dubai office earlier this year and in May it launched an international arbitration and commercial litigation team in London, headed by partner Ben Aram.

In June, the firm reported record turnover of £217 million for the financial year 2017-18, representing a 12% increase on the previous financial year (£193 million) and marked the first time revenue topped £200 million. The growth was supported by a 7% increase in the number of fee-earners worldwide, with total headcount exceeding 2,000 for the first time in Kennedys' history.

Because of the continued growth, the firm last month named Suzanne Liversidge its first-ever global managing partner.