Kennedys Law LLP

Overview

Kennedys is a global, insurance-focused law firm with a broad litigation and advisory practice and an emphasis on defending insurance and liability claims. The firm operates from a substantial international platform (45 offices across 18 countries) and positions itself as a specialist in dispute resolution while offering a wide range of complementary corporate and regulatory services. Kennedys highlights a values-led culture — emphasising approachability, straightforwardness and support — and invests in structured early careers programmes (virtual work experience, vacation schemes, apprenticeships and graduate programmes) that feed its trainee and solicitor pipelines.

• Headquarters: London, 20 Fenchurch St
• Lawyers: 2,900+
• Partners: 363
• Trainees: 16
• Offices: 45
• Revenue: £428m

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Corporate & M&A
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Data Protection & Privacy
• Transport & Logistics
• Shipping & Maritime
• Employment
• Regulatory & Compliance
• ESG & Sustainability
• Real Estate
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Technology & Digital
• Professional Negligence
• Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence

Geographic Focus: Global coverage with strong hubs in London and the London insurance market, significant presence in the US, Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane), APAC (Singapore, Hong Kong), EMEA (Copenhagen, Paris, Madrid, Dubai, Muscat, Tel Aviv, Dublin), Latin America (Santiago, Bogotá, Lima, Mexico City, Buenos Aires/Argentina) and North America (multiple US offices). The firm targets insurer and corporate clients operating cross-border and offers coordinated multi-jurisdictional litigation and M&

Training Contract

Kennedys operates seat-based training programmes designed to provide practical legal experience and early responsibility. Trainees rotate through practice areas including insurance/claims, defendant liability, healthcare, commercial/corporate teams and regulatory teams. Programmes emphasise mentoring, formal learning, client contact and offer secondments to other offices and to clients.

• Starting Salary: £45,000 (first year); £48,000 (second year)
• NQ Salary: £85,000
• Trainee Intake: 16
• Qualification Rate: 75% (latest trainee retention rate)
• Academic Requirements: Minimum degree: 2:1. Minimum A-level requirement: BBB. The firm accepts school leavers via solicitor apprenticeship routes.
• Application Deadline: 30 November 2026

Seat Options

• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Corporate & M&A
• Regulatory & Compliance
• Data Protection & Privacy
• Transport & Logistics
• Employment

Sponsorship

PGDL/GDL grant: Not applicable (per published data). SQE grant: £12,000.

SQE Support

The firm provides SQE financial support: an SQE grant of £12,000 is published. Further SQE study support and preparation details are provided via the firm's training and apprenticeship frameworks.

International Opportunities

The firm offers secondments to other Kennedys offices and client secondments across its global network. The careers pages and early careers content emphasise secondments to global offices and clients; LegalCheek data indicates a c.9% chance of an international secondment for trainees.

Client Secondments

Kennedys offers client secondments as part of its early careers opportunities; LegalCheek reports a c.23% chance of client secondment for trainees.

Mentorship

Trainees receive a dedicated supervisor in-seat, access to mentoring schemes, reciprocal mentoring opportunities, trainee networks and are supported by skills coaches and executive coaching sessions. The firm also runs buddying and peer support structures.

Apply on the Kennedys Law LLP website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Kennedys Law LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Client focus and approachability
• Attention to detail
• Resilience and adaptability
• Interest in insurance/claims and dispute resolution
• Strong communication and drafting skills

Evidence Signals

• Completion of Kennedys' Virtual Work Experience programme (highly regarded internally)
• Relevant internships or paralegal experience in insurance, healthcare or litigation
• Demonstrable commercial awareness (e.g., commenting on recent industry cases or market trends)
• Participation in mentoring, outreach or DE&I activities
• Academic performance (2:1 degree and BBB A‑levels where stated) and, for international offices, required local qualifications (e.g., PCLL for Hong Kong)

Benefits & Wellbeing

• First year trainee salary: £45,000
• Second year trainee salary: £48,000
• NQ salary: £85,000
• SQE grant: £12,000
• PGDL/GDL grant: Not applicable
• Annual leave: 25 days
• Annual target/billable hours: 800 (published target)
• Hybrid working policy (split home/office unless role requires office attendance)
• Enhanced paid family leave
• Sabbatical leave
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Headspace subscription
• Peppy (menopause, fertility and early parenthood support)
• Assistance fund for financial crises
• Kennedys wellbeing day (additional to annual leave)
• Virtual learning platform and role-specific learning content
• Mentoring, reciprocal mentoring and executive coaching
• Access to internal networks and affinity groups

Wellbeing

Holistic wellbeing framework 'Feel well, work well' including EAP, Headspace, Peppy, wellbeing day, an assistance fund, mental health first aiders and a global wellbeing champions network; firm target to train 100+ Mental Health First Aiders (110+ trained to date).

Awards & Recognition

• Winner - Top Employer - Law (The School Leaver Awards) 2017
• Winner - Top Employer - Law (The School Leaver Awards) 2018
• Winner - Best Degree Apprenticeship - Law (The School Leaver Awards) 2019
• Winner - Best Law Firm for Partner Approachability (Legal awards) 2024
• Winner - Best Client Service Innovation (The Lawyer Awards) 2018
• Winner - Best new solutions for clients (Managing Partners' Forum Awards) 2020
• Technology Initiative of the Year - KLAiM (Insurance/London Market recognition)
• Highly Commended - Best Law Firm For Client Secondments

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieved 30% female partnership goal in 2020 and set a goal of 40% female partnership by 2030. The firm aims for 10% of those promoted to partnership in the UK to come from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds each year. Global DE&I Strategy (2022-2025) focuses on employee lifecycle, data collection and monitoring, inclusive culture and inclusive leadership.

• Global DE&I Advisory Groups (regional business resource groups)
• Affinity networks: Rainbow Network, Embrace Network, Women@Kennedys Australia, Muslim Network, Parents and Carers Together, Disability and Neurodiversity Discussion and Impact (DANDI)
• Reciprocal Mentoring scheme
• ‘Let’s Start the Conversation’ webinar series
• Social mobility and widening access programmes (partnerships with Future Frontiers, Chapter One, UpReach, GoodWorks, The Brokerage, Aspiring Solicitors)
• Participation in the Mansfield Rule (Mansfield Certification Plus achieved in UK & US)
• Signatory to Diversity Lab’s Disability Inclusion Commitments
• Use of RARE contextual recruitment system in the UK
• Dive In Festival global partnership

Pro Bono

Thrive Together community volunteering and pro bono programme aiming to support 2,000 under-resourced individuals by 2030; structured volunteering (mentoring, insight days, mock trials), partnerships with Future Frontiers, Causeway Education, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Chapter One, Ablaze, Bridging Barriers, UpReach, GoodWorks, The Brokerage and Aspiring Solicitors; local community projects and pro bono case work.

Innovation

Kennedys invests in legal technology and client‑facing tools to support incident response, cyber and insurance workflows. The firm has won awards for client service innovation and technology initiatives; trainees and fee earners benefit from knowledge‑sharing sessions, cross‑office webinars and internal innovation/activity led by regional teams.

• Kennedys IQ (knowledge / product offering)
• Krisis (cyber incident response service)
• KLAiM (technology initiative referenced in firm awards and London Market recognition)

Quick Application Angles

• Complete Kennedys' Virtual Work Experience (certificate) and reference specific tasks you completed — the programme has powered many recent trainee hires (thousands of enrolments) and is explicitly cited by the firm as evidence of commitment.
• Highlight insurance/claims experience or commercial litigation insight and reference a relevant Kennedys matter (e.g., the Bircroft sale or recent Court of Appeal work) to show sector fit and commercial awareness.
• Stress collaborative qualities and approachability aligned with the firm's core values (Approachable, Straightforward, Supportive, Distinctive, Ambitious) — give examples of teamwork and client communication.
• If applying to international offices, mention cross‑jurisdictional interest and willingness to consider secondments; Kennedys emphasises global mobility and client secondments (c.9% chance of international secondment per published data).
• Use evidence of commitment to social impact or widening access (mentoring, outreach or Dive In/D&I activities) — the firm places value on social impact and chargeable‑hour credit for DE&I participation.