Eversheds Sutherland has hired a heavyweight insurance partner from Cooley to strengthen its financial services disputes team in London. 

Mark Everiss helped found Cooley's London office back in 2015 and joins Eversheds Sutherland having led the West Coast firm's global insurance practice group for the past five years.

He brings with him more than two decades of experience in the insurance and reinsurance sector, with particular experience advising clients in relation to third-party liability, onshore and offshore energy, financial institutions and employers’ liability matters, among others. 

Simon Brooks, partner and co-head of global insurance at Eversheds, said: “As a highly experienced industry professional, Mark brings a unique breadth of insurance industry knowledge to the firm. His understanding of high value complex disputes, including legacy work, means that Mark will add valuable insights and an authoritative voice for our clients.”

Prior to his time at Cooley, Everiss was a partner at Edwards Wildman Palmer, where he was co-chair of the firm’s international reinsurance group. He was one of 12 Edwards Wildman partners who joined Cooley in January 2015 from Edwards Wildman's unsettled London office just as it was merging with fellow US firm Locke Lord. 

He has been involved with the Insurance and Reinsurance Legacy Association as a director and company secretary since 2007 in addition to his work in private practice. 

His arrival at Eversheds follows that of partners Martin Mankabady and Adriana Cotter, who joined the firm’s insurance and regulatory groups from Dentons in January. 

Everiss said: “I’m delighted to be taking on such an interesting and challenging role at the firm. Working closely with Simon, my plan is to help grow our contentious insurance and reinsurance capabilities and help develop our talented lawyers in support of our clients’ strategic goals.” 

With the UK economy predicted to experience a lengthy recession, many law firms will be looking to strengthen counter cyclical practices.

Other firms to make insurance hires in recent months include RPC, which hired insurance partner Mike Newham from Mayer Brown in London back in June. 

Insurance giant Clyde & Co, meanwhile, completed a £700m merger with insurance rival BLM in July in a move that created the UK’s 11th largest law firm by revenue and largest casualty insurance team.