August 2008/4

Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings plc (R&Q) and GLOBAL Reinsurance Company have formed a partnership for the purchase and management of non-life run-off companies in Europe.

Run-off specialist Enstar has completed the acquisition of failed (re)insurer GoshawK Insurance Holdings plc after securing ownership or offer acceptances for 89.4 percent of its issued shares.

Receivers of Mainsail II LLC - the ailing structured investment vehicle (SIV) that a number of Lloyd's insurers are exposed to - have entered a restructuring and portfolio sale agreement with Goldman Sachs International (GSI).

The head of Marsh's global industry practices, James Enelow, is to leave the broker as the company continues with its restructuring plans, The Insurance Insider revealed earlier this week.

Soft market conditions may have contributed to a drop-off in new insurers registering in Bermuda, according to the island's regulator.

Premium growth in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe saw Vienna Insurance Group post a 34 percent increase to EUR288mn in its first half profits.

Start-up broker Alesco Risk Management Solutions has continued its raid on Aon's energy team with a move for senior producer Bill Farnan.

One of the more intriguing elements to Aon's takeover of reinsurance rival Benfield Group is the respective firms' facultative reinsurance operations.

Amlin plc became the latest (re)insurer to report a drop in profits as a result of the difficult investment climate.

Shares in Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group Ltd (JLT) rose today following Aon's swoop for Benfield, in a move that fuelled market speculation over further broker M&A.

Aon Corp has triumphed over its rival Guy Carpenter for the £844mn prize of Benfield Group, The Insurance Insider can reveal.