Insurance and dispute resolution law firm, Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP (BLM), has appointed new partner Joanna Keogh to its national fraud team.
Joanna joins the firm on 1 July 2013 from DAC Beachcroft, where she was also a partner. She is one of two new partners appointed to the Birmingham fraud team this year, following the arrival of Daniel Thomas from Browne Jacobson.
Joanna has an extensive litigation background and specialises in insurance fraud with considerable expertise in fraud rings, data protection, as well as complex and high value fraud.
Joint head of the national fraud team, Sarah Hill, commented: “Joanna’s innate industry knowledge combined with her natural aptitude for strategy, provides clients with a pragmatic approach to claims management. She has also become a key industry adviser on counter-fraud initiatives and her claims handing abilities across the board will be of immense value to our fraud practice. We look forward to welcoming her to the team.”
BLM’s fraud team comprises 60 lawyers and has been involved in various high profile cases nationally, bringing about a number of large scale convictions. Notably, the firm was the lead adviser in Operation Genarch, where 27 individuals were convicted of conspiracy to defraud insurers; the Supreme Court case of Summers v Fairclough Homes; Airbus and QBE Insurance v Adam Robert; and the case of Swiftcover v Jackman, in which the firm successfully secured exemplary damages in excess of £17,000 for its client.
Commenting on her appointment, Joanna said: “I was drawn to BLM because of its fraud profile and its standing within the insurance industry. The team offers an attractive proposition: it has an innovative approach to investigating and defending insurance claims; is at the forefront of defending fraudulent insurance claims; and has an extremely impressive roster of clients.”
