Insurance UK

  • March 28, 2024

    Insurers Must Face £13B Russia-Stranded Planes Suits In UK

    Major insurers including Allianz, AXA and Liberty Mutual will have to face £13 billion ($16.4 billion) worth of claims over planes stranded in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine as a London judge on Thursday ruled against attempts to move the claims to Moscow.

  • March 28, 2024

    Pension Watchdog Returns £3.5M To Troubled Scheme

    The U.K.'s pension watchdog has recovered £3.5 million ($4.4 million) from an engineering business for its beleaguered staff benefits plan.

  • March 28, 2024

    EU Watchdogs To Relax On OTC Derivative Clearing Breaches

    The European Union's securities regulator has said it expects national regulators not to prioritize supervisory action against banks or insurers that fail to clear some over-the-counter derivatives with foreign pension schemes, ahead of legal exemption.

  • March 28, 2024

    NCA Logs 5% Decline In Suspicious Activity Reports Last Year

    The National Crime Agency reported Thursday a 5% decline in reports about potential criminal activities such as suspected money laundering and terrorist financing to its intelligence unit received during the financial year that ended March 2023.

  • March 28, 2024

    UK Watchdog Clears Aviva's £460M Takeover Of AIG Life

    The U.K. government on Thursday gave a green light to insurance giant Aviva for its proposed £460 million ($562 million) acquisition of a British subsidiary of AIG Life Ltd. at the end of its first phase of inquiry into the transaction.

  • March 28, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen investors target fraudsters who ran a fake film tax scheme, Barclays Bank sue privately owned Russian bank PJSC Sovcombank, easyGroup bring a trademark infringement claim against online casino TGI Entertainment for its "easybet" word sign, and a bioethanol fuel company hit high-profile individuals connected to the collapsed Elysian Fuels scheme. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • March 28, 2024

    New Pension General Code Comes Into Force

    A tough new governance regime for pension trustees has been introduced, in what experts say is a significant step in driving up standards for the sector.

  • March 28, 2024

    UK Signs Accounting Standards Deal With Australia

    Britain's audit watchdog said Thursday it has secured a deal on accounting standards with Australian authorities to make it easier for auditors to work between both countries.

  • March 27, 2024

    5th Circ. Reissues Arb. Decision In Hurricane Damage Case

    The Fifth Circuit has reissued its opinion allowing a group of domestic insurers to force arbitration of a dispute over coverage for hurricane damage under an international arbitration clause after the insurers argued that the unanimous decision applied circuit precedent in a new context.

  • March 27, 2024

    Lawyer Group Ends Challenge Over Fixed Recoverable Costs

    A legal trade body has ended court proceedings against the U.K. government after it agreed to make changes to a new regime to extend fixed recoverable costs in personal injury cases.

  • March 27, 2024

    VAT Applies To UK Insurer's Prior Service Pact, Court Rules

    Value-added taxes apply to performance fees invoiced to a U.K.-based insurance company by an investment management firm as part of service agreements, a London court said, because those payments occurred outside the duration of the arrangement.

  • March 27, 2024

    BoE Finds Increasing Fear Of Financial Risk From AI

    The Bank of England said on Wednesday the proportion of banks, insurers and other firms that find artificial intelligence one of the greatest risks to the finance system has doubled in six months.

  • March 27, 2024

    BoE Says Action On LDI Has Boosted Financial Stability

    The U.K.'s financial stability watchdog said Wednesday that measures introduced in the wake of the pension fund crisis 18 months ago have bolstered resilience to further shocks.

  • March 27, 2024

    Shoosmiths, CMS, HSF Guide £510M Pension Deal For Next

    High street clothing retailer Next PLC has offloaded £510 million ($643 million) of its retirement scheme liabilities to Pension Insurance Corp. PLC, in a deal steered by law firms Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Shoosmiths LLP and CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP.

  • March 27, 2024

    Insurers Undervalue Junked And Stolen Vehicles, FCA Says

    British insurers have been undervaluing written-off and stolen vehicles when settling customers' claims, according to a review by the country's financial watchdog published Wednesday.

  • March 26, 2024

    Gov't Issues Deadlines For Pensions 'Dashboard' Linkage

    Large pension schemes in the U.K. must connect their plans to the government's long-awaited Pensions Dashboard Program by the end of April 2025, according to new guidance.

  • March 26, 2024

    UK Marine Insurer Investigating Baltimore Bridge Crash

    Britannia, a British marine insurer, confirmed Tuesday that it is working with authorities in Baltimore after a container ship destroyed the city's landmark Francis Scott Key Bridge in a collision that experts say is likely to cost the insurance sector billions of dollars in claims.

  • March 26, 2024

    Insurance Execs Deny BDO Found Buyer For £18.5M Sale

    Directors of KGJ Insurance Services have denied owing advisory fees to BDO LLP following the sale of the insurance broker for an estimated £18.5 million ($23.4 million), claiming that BDO never proposed or introduced the buyer itself.

  • March 26, 2024

    EU Watchdog Sets Out Rules For Green Bond Issue Reviewers

    The European Union's financial markets regulator on Tuesday proposed rules for external reviewers of green bond issues across the bloc, to help stop greenwashing and conflicts of interest.

  • March 26, 2024

    Top Court Ruling In 'Whiplash' Test Case Could Hit Premiums

    Personal injury claimants could get higher payouts from their motor insurance as a result of a test case ruling at Britain's highest court on Tuesday, although analysts warn that insurers could respond with higher premiums to cover the cost of bigger claims.

  • March 26, 2024

    Over Regulation Restricted Defined Benefit Pensions, MPs Say

    The government should change the focus of the U.K.'s pension watchdog, lawmakers said Tuesday, warning that years of excessive caution on regulation has nearly wiped out the country's remaining defined benefit retirement plans.

  • March 26, 2024

    FCA Warns 'Finfluencers' To Keep Promotional Ads Lawful

    Britain's finance watchdog reminded firms on Tuesday that they are responsible for all of their promotions, especially when working with so-called finfluencers, who offer advice and information on financial topics on social media platforms.

  • March 26, 2024

    UK Clears £1.2B Atlanta-Markerstudy Insurance Broker Merger

    Britain's antitrust authority said Tuesday it has cleared the planned merger between Atlanta Group and Markerstudy, a deal that values Ardonagh's home and car insurance business at £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion), after finding that the deal will not harm competition in domestic markets.

  • March 26, 2024

    Insurers Lose Whiplash Test Case At Top UK Court

    Insurers will probably have to pay more to accident victims suffering whiplash and another injury, after the U.K.'s top court ruled Tuesday that any reductions for overlapping injuries should not leave claimants worse off than before reforms were introduced.

  • March 25, 2024

    FCA Warns Fund Managers Over Third-Party Supervision

    The Financial Conduct Authority said on Monday it has found failings in how some hedge fund managers rely on third parties to help manage the fund, possibly undermining efforts to prevent financial crime. 

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Emerging Risks For US Insurance Markets

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    Both insureds and insurers in the U.S. must be aware of significant inbound exposures — including the issues arising from opioids, climate change and artificial intelligence — that could lead to continued volatility in insurance markets, say Aidan McCormack and Wes Reichart at DLA Piper.

  • How The New UK Digital Markets Bill Will Affect CMA's Powers

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    The highly anticipated U.K. Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill sets out far-reaching changes in terms of merger control and conduct requirements, but some are skeptical of the Competition and Markets Authority’s enhanced powers and potential for divergence in treatment between firms, say Ben Chivers, Stephen Whitfield ​​​​​​​and Nigel Seay at Travers Smith.

  • Key Takeaways From EU Proposal For Greenwashing Rules

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    If the proposal for a Green Claims Directive, with its enhanced rules on claims about a product or trader's environmental impact, is adopted, it will affect all businesses selling their products in the EU and bring major changes to the way those products are packaged and advertised, say attorneys at Shearman.

  • UK Plan For AI Rules Raises Compliance Questions For Cos.

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    The U.K. government's proposal for a new, clear and pro-innovation regulatory framework on artificial intelligence diverges from the European Union's approach, which may create incoherence and compliance burdens for businesses operating in both jurisdictions, says attorneys at Akin Gump.

  • The FCA's Timely Plan To Reform Asset Management Regime

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    The discussion paper recently issued by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority finally addresses how, in the future, asset management regulation will work in totality from an investor, manager and distributor perspective, and its review of the purpose and balance of the regime is welcomed, says Tim Dolan at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Questions Raised By UK Plan For ESG Ratings Providers

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    HM Treasury is taking steps toward regulating environmental, social and corporate governance ratings providers, aiming to ensure adequate protection for U.K. users and level the playing field, but the potential new regime risks imposing undue regulatory burden and overlapping requirements on U.K. and overseas firms, say Ferdisha Snagg and Andreas Wildner at Cleary.

  • Review Of Senior Managers Regime Provides Useful Insight

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    Although the recently launched review of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime suggests a remodel rather than wholesale change, the topics raised illustrate the mindset of the three key stakeholders in the U.K. financial services sector, say Richard Burger and Katy O’Connor at WilmerHale.

  • Highlights Of The UK's New Economic Crime Plan

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    With the direction of the U.K. government’s newly launched second economic crime plan undeniably altered by the recent focus on kleptocrats and their money, the emphasis is now on how the U.K. can deliver a more effective approach to reducing the threat of economic crime, says Kathryn Westmore at the Royal United Services Institute.

  • How The LDI Crisis May Lead To Pensions' Negligence Claims

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    Following the liability-driven investment crisis and its impact on pension schemes, employers and trustees may now be considering if anyone is to blame for any losses arising, say Rachael Healey and Andrew Oberholzer at RPC.

  • 5 Crypto Considerations For UK Policymakers

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    A recent consultation paper from the U.K.'s HM Treasury about digital asset regulation has been touted as a cause for celebration, and while the wheels have been put into motion, there is still a lot of work to do when it comes to correctly regulating the U.K.'s cryptocurrency industry, says Oliver Linch at Bittrex Global.

  • Crypto-Asset Consultation Sets Out Direction Of Travel For UK

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    HM Treasury's phased approach in its recently published consultation on extending the U.K.'s future financial services regulatory regime for crypto-assets, although in many ways differing from parallel developments in the EU, is likely to be conducive to thoughtful policymaking, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • EU Act Offers Financial Sector A Cybersecurity Framework

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    Although unlikely to be a complete solution to all risk management issues, the Digital Operation Resilience Act, effective from 2025, will increase regulatory pressure substantially in the EU financial sector and demand compliance with several new requirements, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Warranty & Indemnity Insurance Considerations For M&A

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    With increased competition and greater capacity leading to lower premiums and deal costs, warranty and indemnity insurance is now available to the wider M&A market, and may help to limit risk and help parties focus on other key elements of the transaction, says Alice Wooler at Birketts.

  • 4 Exercises To Quickly Build Trust On Legal Teams

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    High-performance legal teams can intentionally build trust through a rigorous approach, including open-ended conversations and personality assessments, to help attorneys bond fast, even if they are new to the firm or group, says Ben Sachs at the University of Virginia School of Law.

  • Lessons To Be Learned From Twitter's Latest Hacking Scandal

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    Following the report of a recent data breach at Twitter, it is clearly vital for companies to adhere to best practices in data protection and IT security arrangements, including technical measures, and proper processes and procedures that mitigate risk and provide adequate training for staff, says Simon Ridding at Keller Postman.

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