Global law firm Clyde & Co has announced that Luke O'Kane (pictured above), who is currently serving as a special counsel based in Sydney, is set to ascend to the role of partner in early 2024.
“We have a great team going into 2024, and I look forward to growing our practice and supporting our clients,” said O'Kane in response to his promotion in a company media release.
Assigned to lead a team of seven lawyers across the firm's Australia offices, O'Kane will focus on representing insurers in litigated and un-litigated general and public liability claims, along with regulatory investigations and inquiries.
According to the release, O'Kane's professional expertise includes overseeing general and intricate personal injury cases, including fatality and catastrophic injuries, general liability, historical sexual abuse, property damage and professional indemnity claims.
Within his current role, the release said O'Kane provides counsel on complex coverage and defence matters to major Australian and London insurers and reinsurers, brokers and corporations. His litigation activities span all Australian states and territories, covering claims at various jurisdictional levels. Additionally, said the release, O'Kane frequently serves as coverage counsel for insurers entangled in larger commercial and regulatory disputes.
Bringing substantial expertise to the table, O'Kane particularly excels in managing claims related to defective products and product recalls, with a special emphasis on mass tort litigation. The release said before joining Clyde & Co in 2017, O'Kane gained valuable experience working for the Chief Judge at Common Law in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
Rebecca Kelly, who was recently appointed as Australian managing partner at Clyde & Co, said the promotion will enable the firm to handle some of the most complex work in the market and beyond Australia.
“Luke is an exceptional addition to the partnership in Australia, and his practice is well-positioned to handle increased client demand in this area,” Kelly said.
Simon McConnell, chair of the APAC board and partner at Clyde & Co in Hong Kong, said: “Luke's elevation to partner is testament not only to his exceptional abilities but also to our focus on growing our global insurance practice and our casualty practices as a key part of that.”
O'Kane suggested he is looking forward to 2024’s challenges.
“Joining the partnership of Clyde & Co is a fantastic milestone,” he said. “Working for the world's leading insurance law firm, in an area of speciality that is continuously seeing rising market demands, and with clients who come to us with their complex cases,” he said.
