Clyde & Co opens Boston office

Global law firm Clyde & Co has announced the opening of a new office in Boston by combining with local firm Hermes, Netburn, O’Connor & Spearing (Hermes Netburn).

Hermes Netburn is a 14-lawyer firm that specializes in insurance coverage, surety and fidelity, and civil litigation, with a special focus on product liability, toxic torts and exposures, and construction matters.

The Boston office, working with Clyde & Co’s existing New York and New Jersey offices, will allow the firm to support businesses and insurance companies across the Northeast.

The joining partners are:

• Kevin O’Connor, an insurance and surety lawyer, previously president of Hermes Netburn. O’Connor advises major national and international property-casualty insurers, reinsurers, and insurance claim administrators in complex coverage and surety law matters
• Holly Polglase, a trial lawyer specializing in complex product liability, pharmaceutical, medical device, toxic tort, asbestos, general liability and commercial law matters. Polglase advises major national and multinational companies. She represents product manufacturers, sellers and other businesses following catastrophic losses
• John Felice, a trial and insurance lawyer who represents manufacturers, distributors, businesses, premises owners and their insurers in a variety of toxic exposure cases, including asbestos, talc, mold and chemical exposures. Felice also represents insurers, insurance claim administrators and other stakeholders in complex insurance coverage matters and bad-faith and unfair claim practice matters

Other members of the Hermes Netburn team joining Clyde & Co include founder Peter Hermes, Peter Netburn, Tony Sbarra and Michael Batson.

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“This office further enhances our offering in the Northeastern region of the US,” said Carolena Gordon, senior partner at Clyde & Co. “New England is home to a vibrant insurance, biotech, healthcare and professional services ecosystem which we are ideally placed to support. We look forward to providing existing clients with services out of Boston and to speaking to potential new clients in the market.”

“This team of litigators provides us with the opportunity to establish an office in Boston, which is a key insurance market, while further enhancing our defense and insurance coverage nationwide, in line with our strategy,” said Eileen King Bower, partner and chair of Clyde & Co’s North American board. “We welcome these talented attorneys to Clyde & Co and look forward to integrating them quickly into our region.”

“Joining Clyde & Co was the natural next step for us, with clear synergies between our practices and clients,” O’Connor said. “Our clients in Boston and beyond stand to benefit significantly, as does our entire team. We will make the most of the national and global opportunities to grow and develop our practices and people.”

Clyde & Co has operated in the US for 17 years. Boston is its 15th office in the country. The firm last expanded in the US in 2021, opening offices in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver. Last year, the firm announced the launch of a global cyber risk offering.

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