July 2007/4

New York-based Hales & Company, an investment bank that focuses on the insurance sector, has acquired WFG Capital Advisors for an undisclosed fee.

Law firm Sidley Austin has confirmed the appointment of Dorothy Cory-Wright to head up its new London-based (re)insurance dispute practice.

Bermudian (re)insurer XL Capital has appointed Brian Nocco as its new chief financial officer.

Listed Lloyd’s (re)insurer Brit Insurance Holdings has hired Ben Maidment as Privacy, Cyber and Technology underwriter for its US PI team, which is headed by Janet Henderson.

London-based (re)insurer Liberty International Underwriters (LIU), a division of US insurer Liberty Mutual Group, has recruited London market veteran Ray Miller as vice president for Marine, Energy and Construction.

London market broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson has announced the appointment of Ron Hayes as managing director of its Global Risk Solutions Division.

Lloyd’s broker RFIB Group Ltd has snapped up Hugh Champion from Heath Lambert Group to drive its expansion in facilities and binding authority business.

Reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter & Company LLC has announced several senior European appointments, aimed at enhancing the firm’s enterprise risk management and capital markets capabilities.

Rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) have removed Bermudian energy mutual Oil Insurance Ltd (OIL) from CreditWatch with negative implications and affirmed its A-counterparty credit and financial strength ratings. The outlook is negative.

In an announcement that will come as good news to early entrants to the Chinese reinsurance market, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission has predicted that demand for reinsurance is expected to reach 100 billion yuan ($13.2bn) by 2010 when total prem

Despite little activity to date, the 2007 North Atlantic hurricane season is still expected to see above average activity, with hurricanes forming in the Caribbean and near the Bahamas more likely to make landfall, according to a July update report by rei

UK regulator the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has confirmed Hector Sants as its new chief executive in an internal appointment.