Global firm Kennedys, which already has a presence in Austin, has launched an office in Houston with four lawyers from Wheat Oppermann and Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea, BenMaier & Eastham, as the firm meets client demand for insurance lawyers with experience in the energy sector.

The firm’s new Houston location is its ninth office in the U.S. Kennedys moved into the U.S. and into the Austin market in 2017 when the U.K.-founded insurance law firm merged with New Jersey-based Carroll, McNulty & Kull.