Hill Dickinson is in advanced talks with Keoghs to transfer its entire insurance business, with the exception of its Marine and Healthcare teams.
Peter Jackson, Hill Dicks Chief Exec, told RollOnFriday that general insurance had become so commoditised that it was now out of kilter with the firm's more specialist Marine and Healthcare practices. It made sense, he said, for the firm's lawyers to go somewhere which was committed exclusively to insurance and could provide greater investment and career progression. The aim is for everyone to move by the end of 2017.
John Whittle, Chief Executive Officer of Keoghs, said the deal would be "fully in-tune" with his firm's "vision of creating the pre-eminent legal services provider for the UK insurance industry". But he said it would be premature to comment further until Keoghs had consulted with its clients and also its staff, who are no doubt excited to understand how the new arrivals might affect their desk space/job security.
Jackson said, "I believe that our partners and staff involved in any transition would benefit from moving to a firm whose sole focus is insurance and has invested heavily in IT to service clients efficiently". He said Hill Dicks would be "maintaining close relationships with Keoghs" so it could service "retained clients who require insurance related advice”.
Tip Off ROF
Peter Jackson, Hill Dicks Chief Exec, told RollOnFriday that general insurance had become so commoditised that it was now out of kilter with the firm's more specialist Marine and Healthcare practices. It made sense, he said, for the firm's lawyers to go somewhere which was committed exclusively to insurance and could provide greater investment and career progression. The aim is for everyone to move by the end of 2017.
![]() |
Could upset the regulars. |
John Whittle, Chief Executive Officer of Keoghs, said the deal would be "fully in-tune" with his firm's "vision of creating the pre-eminent legal services provider for the UK insurance industry". But he said it would be premature to comment further until Keoghs had consulted with its clients and also its staff, who are no doubt excited to understand how the new arrivals might affect their desk space/job security.
Jackson said, "I believe that our partners and staff involved in any transition would benefit from moving to a firm whose sole focus is insurance and has invested heavily in IT to service clients efficiently". He said Hill Dicks would be "maintaining close relationships with Keoghs" so it could service "retained clients who require insurance related advice”.
Comments
267
278
I wonder if the IT reference refers to that case management system the Partners bought without testing back in 2012.
As it turned out, the CMS was incompatible with all their computers.
The solution? Buy hundred of laptops where the CMS works.
But oh wait, all the other stuff doesn't work on the laptops. D'oh! Why didn't we test this (again).
Solution! get fee-earners to duplicate everything and motivate them with the threat of being murdered by the Horrible Reptile Department.
236
272
Yeah, you'd think so, wouldn't you?
Provided they can cope with the poisonous Partners and constant blame-throwing culture of Keoghs, maybe they'll be OK.
They may have to fill in PRP* forms to explain why they personally didn't stop the failure of Hill Dicks, though.
* "Problem Resolution Procedure", or "Payrise Reversal Procedure", for those not in the know.
272
289
263
291
280
265
273
283
In the soap dispenser and the bins wasn't it?
As traumatising as HD's disappearing staff (including at manager level), endless performance reviews, lack of progression, bungled IT systems, non-existent client care, RoF Golden Turd victories and a certain Partner's inability to spell or correctly space paragraphs in a client care letter was; we were never broken down to the point of dirty protests.
Although, one chap did start sending hate mail to himself in an effort to ward of HR.
273
260
278
255
278
302
HD has the talent at the lower tiers and headless chickens running the coup, they always have been this way in their Liverpool hen house.
As for the why, the HD board clearly had a totes awks convo with the Insurance partners telling them to bog off. Millions spent on a CMS that would have worked if it wasn't for the meddling of a team of business analysis’s who were in way over their head being headed by one 'who is paid to think' (but uses excel tables to create fly over maps to wow clients rather than the multi million pound system and another one who quit HD after the board realised that he'd already ruined the NHS' systems.
Add to that a restructure in their insurance arm two years ago which basically involved appointing a politician type spitting image puppet (no one knows who's pulling the strings) in as the head and then bringing in two layers of £100k+ 'operations managers' whilst not actually improving any efficiencies leading to a downturn in profit (not a big one, the ship doesn’t appear to be sinking) but big enough to no longer interest partners with a big enough return on investment to keep paying operation manager’s salaries, business analysis’s salaries whilst writing blank cheques for a CMS that’ll never work.
You have to be worried if you're senior management in insurance at HD, no way can Keoghs see their leadership results over the last two years as anything other than proof of their inability and inappropriateness in those roles. Especially if the staffs are asked their opinion by their new managers, although from speaking with peers at HD it is clear that the operations manager will throw the staff under the bus to protect themselves.
You have to also be worried if you’re staying behind at HD, clearly IT, BA and any centralised departments will be having a ‘restructure’ add that to them having ‘the most expensive building on the block’ and you’ve got to see that HD have been too quick to spend on their house of cards for the last decade.
As for some of the other comments;
There is over a thousand laptops and they’re leased, what business buys IT equipment, get with the 21st century.
From speaking with their staff, hopefully the operations managers will disappear in the night whilst they pack the tour bus to move.
I'm told that HD are taking their own ‘Horrible Reptile Department’ so not a lot will change.
Sale price has to net the partners well over £1m each.
262
273
256
285
275
287
275
289
274
268
267
264
256
317
310
255
271
289
279
289
259
293
Change management was non-existent and professionalism was prohibited at most times. The money spent on IT systems is eye watering and I understand from market indicators they spent over 2 million on dashboards only for the people who tested and signed-off to reject days later! What breathtaking arrogance, service managers who don't know how to service their client needs! Management who failed to grow and empower their staff through change and who would never admit their shortcomings.
The seeds of change is coming for HD insurance middle management......
268
306
273
292
255
331
Insurances' failures lie squarely in their incompetent hands, I wonder why the deal categorically leaves them behind to face redundancy......
On a brighter note hopefully they'll get rid of the rude security guard when Keoghs move in.
277
268
283
282
280
287
279
272
264
311
“A boo is a lot louder than a cheer. If you have 10 people cheering and one person booing, all you hear is the booing.” - Lance Armstrong
It’s clear from the comment from a BA that: motor "is the most lowest skilled Legal work available and will be completely automated in the near future" shows exactly how out of touch the BAs, BIs and BI Transformation Executive of the business were and continue to be, if they bothered to open a file they'd realise the complexity that they should have engaged themselves to learn before building a system that fails to deal with the complexity of a motor claim!
Also - how derogatory of a hundred people who work hard every day (noticed and being bought by Keoghs) whilst the BA's and BI Transformation Executive go the café for the first 20 minutes of the day and then leave the office at 4pm.
Laughable. Perhaps you’d be better going to speak to the people in motor than hide behind this anonymous message board? We’re on the 1st and 3rd floor by the way.
I suppose Elon Musk is an old school chum and its him that's told you motor claims handlers won’t be needed in the NEAR future hahaha. I bet Tesla (self-driving electric cars) don’t use a flyover map created in excel in front of clients pretending it’s their own work or generated from a system. What colour is your self-driving car then?
If you think civil litigation for motor claims handling if different to civil litigation in other disciplines and isn’t transferable then again it highlights why the systems were such a monumental failure and why the persons responsible should have been exited from the business, just as they are now SHOCKER, a long time ago.
Bottom line motor staff are safe and being bought, can’t say the same about the rotten apples in the HD barrel.
253
269
264
259
288
267
261
283
274
288
235
263
266
283
Actions speak louder than words.
277
278
297
275
268
268
284
271
272
259
261
281
I'm excited by the move and investment.
Until today I didn't have an opinion of the BAs however now I can see how disrespectful and bitter they are. I understand you can't be happy as it means redundancies for you but for the last two years you've pretended to be our friends and now that the tides gone out and we can see you have been swimming naked you turn on the very people who's existence in the firm necessitated your job roles.
Disgusting from the BAs - you ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
I bet a dollar to a dime you daren't come to the motor department and say those disgusting comments or day say them to the LLP board, IBG board, HR or head of motor.
Same on you all ruining this good news for our staff.
297
249
274
278
271
280
267
269
240
274
266
275
272
272
264
280
266
282
2. IBG was and is in profit. Get your facts straight
3. It's not a demise, basically a re-naming. Same staff same clients.
4. Why not name your ex manager - 100% don't believe you ever worked there as a claims handler. Another BA comment in disguise