UK-listed law firm DWF says it is expanding its presence in the Australian insurance market after making a number of changes earlier this year as part of a broader restructuring.

The firm, which has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast, says its “integrated legal services model” will appeal to local insurance clients who are looking for added value from their business partners.

Under the model, DWF aims to offer clients solutions that combine traditional law firm services with other business services such as claims management and regulatory consulting.

Australia MD Damien van Brunschot says integrated legal services are designed to better manage risk to make all aspects of the insurance ecosystem simpler, faster and more cost efficient.

“We see an increased demand for integrated legal services,” Mr van Brunschot told insuranceNEWS.com.au. “It’s a very pro-insured market here [and] it’s a very cost-competitive market".

He says the Australian market is “ripe for an integrated legal services model”.

In April DWF expanded its domestic footprint, opening an office in Gold Coast where the Gold Coast team provides legal advisory services to clients in addition to its Mindcrest and Connected Services offering.

Mr van Brunschot is confident the law firm will be able to expand its Australian presence. “In five years we'll have a much more ‘national’ insurance presence. We've already got a good insurance base here with our claims management, adjusting and also legal advisory services.”