SIGs/Complex changes

Keoghs’ Complex & Catastrophic Loss team is looking forward to a year of different challenges with the key focus on bringing further insight and added value to clients. The most significant of these are the introduction of the Special Interest Groups, and the news of the ‘doyen of defendant insurance’ Andrew Underwood changing roles.

Special Interest Groups

Keoghs’ Complex and Catastrophic Loss team has set up Special Interest Groups to develop 5 key areas of complex injury claims.  20 members of the 150+ strong team, based in 8 offices across the country, have set up the Special Interest Groups with the aim of driving knowledge, understanding and tactics for handling claims in these areas to help our insurer clients stay ahead of the curve and ultimately reduce indemnity spend.  Our SIGs will become self-contained centres of excellence with a commitment to produce material at least every quarter.

The five groups are focusing on brain injury, spinal injury, chronic pain, amputations and emerging trends. Their initial focus is to:

• Co-ordinate knowledge within their specialisation;
• Identify new experts, treatments and medical practice;
• Produce handling guides and articles; and
• Develop strategies for handling and resolving claims.

The areas and contact details of the lead individuals are set out below:

If you would like any more information please contact your Client Account Manager or any of the lead individuals listed above.

Andrew Underwood taking on new role

Many of our readers will know Andrew Underwood, either through his work with clients or the industry. In June, Andrew finished working on individual cases and is taking on the new role of developing our talented pool of C&CL lawyers, as well as providing strategic and technical advice to clients.

The history of Andrew and Keoghs!

Andrew has worked at Keoghs throughout his legal career, joining in 1987. At that time the firm comprised around 60 staff (1700 less than there is now). Andrew has undertaken a wide range of insurance litigation over the years - he led the Disease team from scratch (with the help of a junior lawyer called John Whittle) before developing his current expertise in catastrophic injury work.

He has contested cases to all the appellate courts including the Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice. He has worked for the majority of our clients at various times and was a founder member of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL), holding the role of national treasurer for many years before becoming President in 2005. He initiated a market development which became the Serious Injury Guide, now seen as the template for how to deal with catastrophic PI cases, and has developed a national reputation in this field. As a result of this work Andrew was named Defendant Lawyer of the Year at the inaugural Personal Injury Awards in 2008. He is one of only 3 Star individuals in the Defendant PI sector of Chambers, and has maintained this ranking for several consecutive years. He is an invited member of the Ogden Party and this group have just started work on the 8^th Edition. He is an appointed member of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee, having sat on this committee for over five years. Over and above Andrew’s market work and work on files, he has helped to develop the complex Injury team into the major market force that it now is; several of Andrew’s own team have gone on to be partners within CIC with their own files and teams.