October 2009/2

World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein has lost the latest round of his legal battle to collect $2.8bn in damages from airlines and security companies that he claims are partially responsible for the 11 September terrorist attacks.

Market Reform Group rebrands; HCC Insurance Holdings forms Texas Regional Surety Office; AM Best withdraws ratings of White Mountains Re Bermuda; FSA chairman outlines factors for successful European regulation...

AJ Gallagher's London operation confirmed it has hired the trade credit team that defected from former HCC-owned broker Rattner Mackenzie before the entity was sold to Guy Carpenter.

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert hires Part VII transfer specialist; DUAL Ireland opens doors with AIG hire; Gregory joins Axis as international specialty CEO; Taylor to serve as non-executive chairman of Montpelier Re...

Ratings agency Fitch revised its outlook on PartnerRe to negative from stable last week, after the Bermudian acquired an 83 percent stake in Paris Re earlier in the month.

The keenly awaited case management conference for the Scottish Lion scheme of arrangement due to take place today (12 October) has been delayed. The meeting is thought to have been rescheduled for Wednesday (14 October)

Mutual insurers are increasing global market share, as the financial crisis and global recession has increased their attractiveness to customers compared to public company peers, according to a study by ratings agency AM Best.

Symetra - the former Safeco spin-off life and health insurer that counts White Mountains Insurance Group and Berkshire Hathaway among its major investors - has filed for a $575mn initial public offering (IPO).

French reinsurer Scor has built out its presence in the Dutch life reinsurance market with the establishment of an office in the Netherlands through its subsidiary, Scor Global Life.

The US run-off industry once again prepares for its annual migration to New Jersey as the fifth Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Run-Off Companies (AIRROC) event begins on the 19 October.

Asbestos-related mesothelioma claims are expected to peak in 2016, with claimants exposed to asbestos between the late 1960s and mid 1970s from a wider industrial base than previously assumed, according to a Marsh study.

Efforts to sell the non-life reinsurance portfolio of Berlin-based run-off group BF Rückversicherung have been revitalised.