January 2010/4

Debate rages over Solvency II impact on the London market; Hiscox upbeat; Key turn; Tax pilgrim; Fortified Amlin; Heath plan...

A US judge has ordered Arch Specialty and Lloyd's insurers Brit, Ace, QBE, Beazley and Chaucer to pay out disputed defence costs to Allen Stanford and other former senior SFG executives.

Miller hires former Inter-Hannover representative... and adds to energy, P&C team with JLT hire; Chaucer promotes head of specialist lines; Medniuk named as new Great Lakes chairman; BLG's Kean to join Willis...

White Mountains Re in $5mn run-off acquisition; Amlin completes Lockton insolvency transfer; Government launches terrorism compensation scheme; Levene accepts university gong; AM Best Paris Re ratings rise after PRE acquisition.

R&Q's £2mn acquisition of premium collection firm JMD Specialist Insurance Services last week is a "significant extension" to its traditional run-off business, according at Numis Securities.

Losses in the airline hull and liability market last year were the highest on record, excluding losses arising from 9/11, Willis said in its annual report on the sector.

Former Chaucer chief executive Ewen Gilmour will add to his growing list of directorships by joining the board of Xchanging Ins-sure Services (XIS) as a non-executive director, The Insurance Insider revealed last week.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled last week against the relatives of Holocaust victims who purchased insurance policies with Italian insurance giant Generali.

Specialist engineering offering TSM Syndicate 1110 commenced underwriting on 1 January with £53mn capacity, after finally receiving Lloyd's approval to operate through turnkey agent Argenta Syndicate Management.

London-headquartered Lloyd's insurer Chaucer conceded last week that it is eyeing a possible redomicilation away from the UK to level the playing field with its tax-competitive peer group.

Last week Beazley opened a Minneapolis office to write accident and health (A&H) insurance business and a new base in Oslo to service energy business for the firm's syndicates at Lloyd's.

Willis Group joined its two global rivals in extending the employment contract of its chairman and CEO last week.