February 2006/1

SVB, the Lloyd’s based insurer wrestling with its legacy of US professional liability (re)insurance losses, revealed bold plans today (10 February) to form a new UK-based insurance company while finally dealing with its back-year losses.

Only a month after Lloyd’s unveiled an ambitious three-year strategic plan, the Corporation has parted company with its head of business strategy. Since joining Lloyd’s in 2003, Stuart Degg led the development of Lloyd’s repositioning itself...

American insurance giant AIG will today (9 February) announce a settlement of $1.6bn, resolving deception and accounting fraud charges with federal and state authorities.

Broker Willis has reported profits of $300mn for 2005, down 30 percent from $427mn the previous year on higher costs and the loss of so-called Placement Service Agreements or contingent commissions.

XL Capital has unveiled its largest ever full year trading loss at $1.29bn following 2005’s devastating hurricane losses and the adverse Winterthur arbitration decision which cost the Bermudian giant a further $808.9mn.

Analysts were divided in their reaction to the January renewal season advice that Hannover Re released yesterday (7 February) with a EUR11 difference in price targets set on its stock. The German reinsurer summed up this year’s renewal season...

Leading industry figure John Charman has cited his high profile divorce as the reason for his decision to step down from the company he founded, AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. Bermudian (re)insurer AXIS has confirmed that the former...

The UK Court of Appeal has sent a sigh of relief among London market insurers after over-turning last year’s controversial GoshawK vs Tyser decision which ruled brokers were not obliged to produce documents previously shown to underwriters.

The defunct Australian insurer HIH Casualty & General is alleging fraud against its broker JLT Risk Solutions over controversial film finance losses written in 1997. The case is being heard by the Honourable Mr Justice Langley...

Hannover Re announced last week (3 February) the completion of a $370mn catastrophe bond deal which it says will provide the reinsurance giant with extra capacity for underwriting catastrophe risks.

American International Group (AIG) has won a decisive battle to keep its London-based aviation insurance team as the dispute with its former chief executive Hank Greenberg’s Starr entities becomes increasingly bitter, Insider Week understands.

Research from Lloyd’s has identified four key areas for growth in the changing Asian insurance markets. The research “New Openings – quantifying opportunities in Asia” earmarks classes of business for growth, they are marine cargo...