May 2013/4

While its rivals Aon and Willis have ended up on the front page with their high-profile initiatives, Marsh has succeeded in building a series of London market broker facilities quietly.

London market luminary Stephen Catlin has said he cannot think of a single instance where an insurer has given its pen to a broker with no restrictions that has performed well in the long term.

Markel is set to lose one of the key US property cat reinsurance executives who came over with its acquisition of Alterra as Greg Haft leaves for PartnerRe, The Insurance Insider can reveal.

UK private equity group 3i has marked up the valuation of its equity stake in Singapore-headquartered Asia Capital Re Holdings (ACR) by 15.2 percent, indicating a return to valuation levels before the 2011 Thai floods.

US-oriented Lloyd's business Cathedral has released an investor memorandum to interested parties and called for first-round bids by a date in the middle of June

Berkshire Hathaway had the lowest direct incurred loss ratio among the top 20 US excess and surplus (E&S) writers by direct premiums earned in both 2012 and 2011.

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has continued to build its ranks with a series of senior and mid-level hires from AIG and its Lexington unit, as well as from the wider US surplus lines sector.

Marketform - the medical malpractice specialist that has eschewed US business since its launch in 1988 - will write US hospital professional liability from 1 June.

State-owned Indian reinsurer General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) has approached potential turnkey providers ahead of a formal application to join Lloyd's, The Insurance Insider understands.

FTSE 100 insurer Aviva has started work on an application to join Lloyd's amid signs that the long-blocked Lime Street pipeline might be starting to open up, The Insurance Insider can reveal.

The US loss information service PCS has kept its fourth loss estimate for Superstorm Sandy stable at $18.75bn, which remains short of the $20bn mark at which significant industry loss warranty (ILW) capacity could be triggered.

Founding Axis CEO John Charman has been appointed chairman and CEO of Endurance Specialty in a surprise move.