Kemsley Brennan said he wanted to move away from in-house into work with a broader range of insurance companies and brokers.

“The financial crisis has turned up the heat on companies and directors in terms of their liability exposures. With the volume of claims and their technical complexity at a new high, I look forward to teaming with our insurance clients to better manage these growing challenges,” said Brennan.

Formerly vice president and liability technical claims manager with Chubb Specialty Claims, Asia Pacific, Brennan brings a wealth of experience in the technical management of high value claim litigation, Colin Biggers & Paisley said.

He has previously managed the defence of directors in many high profile Australian, US and Asian class actions over his 17 year career with Chubb, the firm said.

The law firm’s managing partner, Dunstan de Souza, said that the addition of Brennan to the firm’s insurance practice represented a significant coup for the firm and its clients.

“Kemsley is absolutely unique. He combines being an exceptional insurance lawyer with corporate expertise and insights of the highest order.

“Clients can expect a greater depth of service as we extend our practice into corporate advisory work that leverages Kemsley’s unparalleled understanding of the business of claims management.

“We hope to work with clients on more strategic consulting projects such as mitigating their claims exposures and improving efficiencies in claims management,” said de Souza.