November 2007/1

Marine, energy and P&I insurer Lingard Limited (Gard) has appointed former JLT Re partner Graham Everard as managing director of its Bermudian operations.

Reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter is developing five different trading indices with the first European index looking to go live as early as six months time.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has warned that if rates in most classes continue at their present level beyond mid-2008, then it may downgrade the outlook for a number of industry sectors.

London market reinsurers led by Allianz have had their appeal dismissed against the striking out of significant parts of their defence in the controversial EUR44.3mn dispute with the North Korean national insurer.

London-based law firm Kendall Freeman has been looking for a partner for some time and so seasoned watchers were not surprised by its proposed tie-up with the US firm Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP (EAPD) that was announced late last month.

Run-off insurer Highlands Insurance Company (UK) Ltd became the first UK insurance firm to become insolvent in three years after it went into insolvent administration at the High Court on 1 November.

Lloyd's (re)insurance intermediary CRS is poised to finalise a number of deals in preparation for run-off.

Private equity firm General Atlantic is to sell another 15.23 million shares, or 7 percent of the issued share capital, in London market back office service provider Xchanging plc.

Validus Holdings-owned Talbot Underwriting has become the latest Lloyd's insurer to launch an Asian venture through the Corporation's Singapore platform.

Cullum Capital Ventures (CCV), part of the Towergate group, recruited two teams from troubled property services group Erinaceous last month.

Australian (re)insurer QBE has rebranded its European operations which means the loss of the name of its Lloyd's (re)insurance arm, Limit.

Integro has taken on two international property brokers John Millar and Andrzej Danyluk from reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter.