RPC opens New York office in latest stateside push by UK firms

RPC has opened an office in New York, its first in the US and only its fifth globally, as the London-headquartered firm expands its international insurance practice.

The firm has hired insurance specialist Scott Schechter as a partner to launch the office. He joins from New York firm Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan and will help build a local team focused on insurance claims with US exposure.

New York joins RPC’s existing offices in London, Bristol, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The move is a significant expansion for a firm that has traditionally kept a relatively small international footprint. RPC’s revenue rose 11% last year to £198 million, while Antony Sassi took over as managing partner in May 2025.

Insurance push

Schechter specialises in insurance, including financial lines and cyber-related claims. RPC said his arrival would strengthen its ability to advise on cross-border claims involving US exposure, working alongside teams in the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Global head of insurance Simon Laird said New York was a “natural next step” as clients increasingly dealt with claims involving US exposure.

“The New York office is an exciting development for our global insurance practice, developed in response to client demand. This is a strategic expansion of what is already one of the strongest global Financial Lines, Cyber, and W&I claims platforms in the market,” managing partner Sassi said.

The launch follows several other insurance hires, including financial lines specialist Tom Mungovan in London and cyber lawyers Ed Lewis and Sumyutha Sivamani in London and Singapore respectively.

UK firms look stateside

RPC is the latest UK-headquartered law firm to establish a presence in the US this year.

Macfarlanes opened a New York representative office focused on building private capital relationships, while Charles Russell Speechlys expanded into the US with offices in New York and Connecticut.