Nick Thomas - Kennedys-Article-201608110715

Kennedys has agreed a formal association with Italian law firm Studio Legale Rinaldi Associati (RASS).

RASS, which opened in 1995, has offices in Milan, Rome and Bologna. All three offices will become associate offices of Kennedys. Its 28-strong team is led by Egidio Rinaldi and includes nine partners.

According to Kennedys, the pair signed the deal after a rise in cross-border and international referral work. The two firms have worked together for more than 20 years.

RASS advises clients on insurance claims, coverage and litigation expertise, focusing on property and casualties.

Kennedys senior partner Nick Thomas (pictured) said: "Our formal association with RASS enables us to provide clients with strong litigation and dispute resolution services in Italy, and focus on insurance coverage issues and claims defence work. Expanding our international reach remains key to our strategy and this association with RASS brings more opportunities for our global network."

In continental Europe, Kennedys currently has offices in Lisbon, Madrid and Brussels.

The firm has been on an expansion drive of late, most recently merging with London marine and shipping boutique Waltons & Morse in November. Last year, it also opened four new offices in Latin America including, in July, bases in Brazil and Peru, which it followed up with openings in Chile and Colombia in August.