March 2002/1

Pessimism mounts with further deterioration on back years and rumours that Lloyd's big guns plan to exit market Some of Lloyd's largest capital providers are planning to leave the market after losing patience with the perceived underwriting indisciplin

Over 100 of Aon clients face laddering suits that could hit directors and officers and financial institutions insurers Aon’s enthusiasm for US financial institutions cover in the late nineties is reflected by their clients exposure to the morass of lad

The 11 September terrorist attacks pushed QBE, one of Australia's few surviving international insurance companies, into an A$25mn loss for the 2001 year.

A legal dispute between Westfield, owners of the retail area of the World Trade Centre, and Zurich Insurance over supplementary cover has been voluntarily dismissed with both sides agreeing to resolve their differences in a mandatory arbitration hearing.

A further sign that rate increases is not a universal panacea for the industry's ills occurred with the announcement that German industrial insurer and reinsurer has been put up for sale by its owners Deutsche Bank and Rolf Gerling. The move followed two