Jenna Keir-Kendrew Managing Associate

Jenna Keir-Kendrew is a Managing Associate in the Dispute Resolution team at Swinburne Maddison. She obtained her LLB from Durham University and qualified as a solicitor in September 2018. Jenna joined Swinburne Maddison in August 2022 and was promoted to Associate Solicitor in May 2024 and Managing Associate in May 2025, in recognition of her expertise in contentious probate matters.

Jenna has extensive experience in handling complex disputes, with a particular focus on contested probate matters. She regularly advises clients on claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, will validity disputes, and the removal of personal representatives. She also acts on property and contractual disputes, bringing a strategic and pragmatic approach to resolving conflicts efficiently.

Jenna’s approach is client-focused, ensuring that each case is handled with trust, care, and agility. She is committed to understanding her clients’ objectives early on and tailoring her strategy to achieve the best possible outcomes. Her ability to assess both sides of an argument and provide reasoned, well-structured advice makes her an invaluable advisor in contentious legal matters.

• Contested Probate and Trusts
• TOLATA
• Contract Disputes

Jenna has acted in a variety of high-value and complex cases, including contested probate matters, contractual disputes, and claims involving property and inheritance rights.

Her day-to-day work involves advising clients, drafting legal documents, and representing clients in negotiations, mediations, and court proceedings. She is skilled in preparing witness statements, pleadings, and trial bundles, as well as drafting settlement agreements and instructions to counsel. Jenna also advocates at hearings and trials, ensuring her clients receive strong representation throughout their case.

Key career highlights include:

• Successfully defending a company in multi-track proceedings involving a claim for unpaid invoices, where settlement negotiations reduced the client’s liability from £400k to £45k, over 8 monthly instalments, and settlement of all potential claims.
• Acting for a defendant in a guarantor dispute over rent arrears, where the full claim of £26k was successfully defended in court.
• Representing defendants in an Inheritance Act claim, where the claim was ultimately discontinued due to procedural failures by the claimant, leading to a favourable cost recovery for Jenna’s clients.

Jenna is an active member of the firm’s CSR Committee and has played a key role in organising initiatives to support local causes. Most recently, Jenna coordinated a beach clean in partnership with the team at Clive Owen LLP for a volunteer day, demonstrating her commitment to environmental sustainability.