Ms Kelly has experience in the defence of general liability and casualty claims, product liability, environmental liability and defamation, acting for both Australian and international insurers and companies.

Ms Kelly arrives soon after her former colleague Jacques Jacobs, who left DLA Piper for NRF in March this year.

In addition, the firm's insurance practice gained former DibbsBarker partner Brett Solomon in October last year and former CBP partner Mark Attard the previous April.

NRF managing partner in Australia Wayne Spanner said the firm was building “significant depth” within its insurance team.

“The addition of someone with Samantha’s experience and capability caps off a series of quality appointments to our national insurance team,” he said.