Vancouver-based Alexander Holburn has joined Legalign Global, an international alliance of insurance-focused law firms that counts the UK's DAC Beachcroft among its founding members.

The addition of Alexander Holburn increases the number of firms in the alliance to five, alongside DAC Beachcroft, Germany’s BLD Bach Langheid Dallmayr, US firm Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker and Australia’s Wotton + Kearney. Alexander Holburn will give those firms’ clients access to legal advice across Canada in areas not just limited to insurance, but also its specialisms such as cyber, aviation, medical cannabis and class actions.

David Pollitt, DAC Beachcroft’s managing partner, said: “This addition ensures we can provide the best regional advice and support to our insurer, broker and corporate clients in Canada.”

Legalign Global primarily aims to help firms work seamlessly for multinational insurers, brokers and businesses on cross-border risks and claims.

It has has more than 2,000 lawyers in its network and boasts a charter that promises member firms will ‘closely adhere to an agreed set of claims management principles’. These include that ‘clear and concise legal advice’ will be provided at the outset of instructions ‘so that all engaged in the claim decision-making process have a detailed understanding of the merits of a given matter and how it should be handled’. 

Alexander Holburn has offices in Vancouver and Toronto and is a member of the ARC Group Canada, an alliance of Canadian insurance law firms. 

Chris Hirst, Alexander Holburn’s managing partner, said: “Our clients will now be able to access a truly global insurance practice. This collaboration will position our clients to better assess risk and make informed decisions with confidence.”

Last month, Dentons boosted its insurance coverage with the hiring of a nine-strong team from Cassels Brock & Blackwell in Canada, including five partners. The team will be spread across Dentons’ Toronto and Calgary offices and is led by regulatory specialist and veteran Cassels partner Laurie LaPalme.

Elsewhere, UK firm Kennedys boosted its insurance coverage with the arrival of AXA XL’s former EMEA and Latin America head Susana Martinez in Madrid while DWF hired insurance partner Brian Boahene from Ince to establish its insurance practice in Dubai, less than a year after the firm took steps to reduce its Dubai headcount amid cost-cutting pressures sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.