Casualty/GL

Pricing for directors' and officers' (D&O) insurance is getting firmer, albeit slowly and in distinct areas, while industry executives are heartened that market leaders are walking away from business if they have to.

Dual has promoted Justin Ansell to global head of M&A insurance following the departure of Niki Demirbilek.

StarStone has added Andrew Summers, a political risk underwriter at ArgoGlobal, to its newly formed crisis management division.

Explosive claims of serial sexual harassment made against casino mogul Steve Wynn - which he has repeatedly denied - may cost him the gaming licence for a $2.4bn development Wynn Resorts is building near Boston.

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty has acquired the renewals rights to Liberty Mutual's US product recall book, after the insurer decided to exit the class last year.

Marine and energy specialist The Standard Syndicate has hired Suzanne Black as head of liability and class underwriter for marine liability, The Insurance Insider can reveal

Lloyd's insurer Probitas has expanded its financial lines team with the hire of Mark Smith from QBE.

JLT Specialty has hired Marsh’s Paul Woodward to the new position of head of North American casualty

Canopius has hired William Kelly as a senior vice president in its US management and professional lines team.

So much, then, for the cat-driven hard market in 2018. And if the industry has been disappointed with the rate response in cat-exposed business to date, we would offer caution to anyone hanging their hat on better pricing in casualty as a source of optimism for the market as a whole.

As the dust settles on the 1 January reinsurance renewals, further evidence has emerged of improving conditions for underwriters of US casualty and professional lines treaty business.

After a mixed 1 January renewal for reinsurers, signs are emerging of improving prospects for underwriters in the US commercial insurance sector as traction begins to build slowly on pricing.