November 2003/1

Sompo eyes $104mn university gift in Fortress Re litigation Fortress Re - the Japanese backed aviation reinsurance pool which defied gravity for over twenty years before being grounded by the 11 September attacks - led an incongruous existence. At its

Centennial Insurance Company (CIC), revealed by The Insider in September as a new entrant to the UK professional indemnity (PI) market with a chequered past and debatable security, is understood to be the subject of a Financial Services Authority (FSA) en

For several years now the Russian reinsurance sector has been expecting a major storm to blow the Russian reinsurers away. To their relief, the reinsurers say it hasn't happened. Even better, they add, the growth rate last year for the domestic reinsurer

Over two years after Boeing officially announced an endemic fault on its 702/GEM telecommunications satellites, last-ditch negotiations continue in an attempt to avert a round of litigation that could cost the industry and its insurers dear. Satellite

JLT, the world's fifth largest insurance broking group, are in advanced talks to acquire rival HLF's aviation team, The Insider can reveal. HLF's well regarded aviation team is led by Nigel Weyman. Sources suggest he is set to join JLT together with a

But Everest Re stop loss exhausted on further US casualty deterioration Quoted Lloyd's insurer SVB announced a £50mn convertible bond issue in November to support a 2004 capacity expansion to £500mn. A further fund raising was not unexpected follow

The build-up to the renewals season was marked by calls at conferences across London for pricing discipline, underwriting profit and an end to gearing by under-reserving. Former Morgan Stanley analyst Alice Schroeder kicked off the season on 3 November

The thorny issue of directors' and officers' (D&O) insurance has climbed up the agenda for UK executives. As advisors pick their way through Higgs, directors face soaring premiums and tightening terms and conditions in a capacity sapped market, with many

In what would appear to be a further flexing of Franchise Performance Directorate muscle, Dex Services announced on 25 November that its Syndicate 2241 was pulling out of the Lloyd's market, ceasing underwriting at the end of 2003. Managed by Thomas Mi

Record capacity for 2004 as departures outweighed by new entrants Lloyd's capacity growth for 2004 will not match last year's 18 percent rise, but will still break the £15bn barrier, The Insider can reveal. The slight increase in total market capaci

GoshawK's defunct Syndicate 102 successfully appealed a capital loading penalty that could have prevented losses falling on the Central Fund, The Insider can reveal. Syndicate 102 was finally placed into run-off on 31 October, after a gruelling year wh

Royal & SunAlliance (R&SA) disappointed in November with a set of results that showed earnings at the lower end of expectations for the first nine months of 2003. The UK's second largest insurer, which announced a £960mn rights issue in September, also