International law firm Kennedys has strengthened its insurance practice with the appointment of Ian Davies as a partner in its Birmingham office.

Mr Davies joins his former partner colleagues, Mark Walsh and Robert Wallace, all of whom recently joined from Lyons Davidson.

His career has focused entirely on insurance litigation and his experience ranges from Ministry of Justice and pre-litigation claims handling, through to high-value claims and successfully running cases to the Court of Appeal.

Mark Walsh has led the high-value catastrophic injury claims team at Lyons Davidson for the past seven years and his caseload included motor, employers' liability and public liability litigation with a specialist focus on high value claims and fraud.

He joined the Bristol office of the firm in 1999 before moving to Solihull in 2002 to set up a new defendant team, becoming a partner in 2007.

Mr Wallace has 26 years of experience in personal injury, working as a general liability specialist.

He worked as both a claimant and defendant lawyer, instructed by personal and commercial lines insurers, trade unions and motor legal expense insurers, becoming partner in 2011.

Mr Wallace has a special interest in chronic pain cases, ranging from complex regional pain syndrome to fibromyalgia.

He also has experience of complex claims, specialising in head and spinal injuries.

Completing the new appointments are solicitor Sandip Sidhu and legal executive Rachel Harbour.

Senior partner Nick Thomas said: "Along with his colleagues, Mark and Robert, Ian will be a real driving force behind further building our credentials in the Birmingham market and growing our insurance client base and presence across the UK and internationally."