An international team with deep understanding of specialty insurance

Our specialty team handles cases for insurers in the London and international markets from start to finish, providing advice on multi-jurisdictional claims, recoveries, product development, wordings and international disputes.

We advise on a wide range of specialty insurance classes including bloodstock, contingency, cyber, fine art, jewellers' block, kidnap & ransom, political risk & trade credit, product recall, specie and surety.

We have a proven track record in representing insurers and reinsurers on a diverse range of issues arising from significant national and international losses in the specialty insurance market. We pride ourselves on the depth of our industry understanding, and seek to resolve disputes by reference to commercial imperatives as well as by providing high quality legal advice.

Our Specialty Work

  • All
  • Africa
  • Asia Pacific
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • North America
  • UK & Europe
  • Insuring European basketball players

    Advising insurers on claims for European basketball players.

    Italy

    Olympic contingency wording

    We are experienced in handling a wide range of high-profile contingency cases, including recently advising on contingency wording for the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

    Russian Federation

    Advice on regulatory issues

    Advice on regulatory issues re life insurance/policy responding to the contingency of death

    United Kingdom

    Advising on contaminated Poppadom production

    Representing a global underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance in providing advice in relation to contaminated Poppadoms. Production of the majority of supply to the UK market was recalled or halted due to excess oil in the product

    India

    Advising on coverage, compliance with conditions precedent, misrepresentation and quantum

    We advised an insurer in relation to a claim notified by a gallery, which was subject to Indian law. The factual circumstances and claim documentation raised several points regarding coverage, compliance with conditions precedent, misrepresentation and quantum.

    India

    Advising on criminal and regulatory law considerations for recovering the artworks

    We advised a client on criminal and regulatory law considerations for recovering the artworks and entering into a reward agreement with an informant.

    United States

    Advising on loss notified under a Jewellers Block Reinsurance Policy

    Advising a client in relation to a loss notified under a Jewellers Block Reinsurance Policy for damage suffered to items during transit between Dubai and Hong Kong. We advised on the scope of various policy exclusions, the proper basis of valuation and the deductible and limits.

    United Arab Emirates

    Advising on reward payments for the recovery of artworks

    Advising a client on the recovery of artworks stolen from the residence of a private family estate. We also advised the client on the criminal and regulatory law considerations for making a reward payment for the recovery of the artworks.

    United Kingdom

    Advising on significant losses as a result of fraudulent artworks

    Acting for fine art insurers on a number of separate and significant losses in the London insurance market arising out of frauds originating in Germany, which involved the sale of an unknown number of forged works of early 20th century French and German artists. Acting for both the insured resellers and their insurers, assisting the insureds to identify fraudulent works and restore innocent buyers of forged works to their pre-purchase position.

    United Kingdom

    Art damage in storage and recovery of losses

    Assisting in the recovery of losses incurred by the owner of works by a leading 20th century painter, sculptor, print-maker and ceramicist following damage caused to a number of works stored by a well-known art packer and shipper

    Belgium
  • Loss of Angolan rough diamonds worth USD 150 Million

    Acting on an alleged loss of Angolan rough diamonds valued at approximately USD 150 million and involving the majority of the market. Acting for the UK, our team handled proceedings in both UK and New York  courts, and successfully resolved the matter by a very favourable settlement, which was a fraction of the value of the claim

    Angola

    Tunisian aquaculture jellyfish attack claim

    Advising Lloyd’s underwriters on an aquaculture claim following a jellyfish attack off the coast of Tunisia.

    Tunisia
  • Recovery, salvage and sale of stolen artworks

    Liaising with the Australian Federal Police dealing with the recovery, salvage and sale of stolen artworks in Sydney

    Australia

    Groundbreaking English court decision on political risk insurance

    Advising the successful Lloyd’s underwriters in their defence of the only reported decision of the English courts in recent times relating to political risk insurance; International Lottery Management v Dumas, which relates to issues of non-disclosure and misrepresentation with respect to confiscation insurance of an investment in a lottery in Azerbaijan

    Azerbaijan

    Dispute resolution and subrogated recovery action

    Acting for credit insurers in a subrogated recovery action against the Chinese aluminium plant primary debtor and its associated debtor/guarantor companies in Hong Kong and the PRC. This matter involved complex dispute resolution and governing law provisions due to the underlying export contract and associated guarantees. As part of the rescheduling, we consolidated those provisions to enable prompt recovery in the courts of Hong Kong under Hong Kong law, such that, when the obligors further...

    China

    Numerous fraudulent multi-jurisdictional jewellery claims

    Advising on numerous fraudulent multi-jurisdictional jewellery claims, often where there have been several conflicts between the protagonists, including advising in relation to the insolvency of a South East Asia jewellery company where conflicts include possible fraud and false accounting of the staff. This is a multi-jurisdictional case, with sales having alleged to have taken place in numerous jurisdictions

    Hong Kong

    Advising on contaminated Poppadom production

    Representing a global underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance in providing advice in relation to contaminated Poppadoms. Production of the majority of supply to the UK market was recalled or halted due to excess oil in the product

    India

    Advising on coverage, compliance with conditions precedent, misrepresentation and quantum

    We advised an insurer in relation to a claim notified by a gallery, which was subject to Indian law. The factual circumstances and claim documentation raised several points regarding coverage, compliance with conditions precedent, misrepresentation and quantum.

    India

    Potential exposures from a malfunctioning microchip

    Acting for a Lloyd's market insurer in respect of its potential exposures under a product recall insurance of a Japanese electronic manufacturer regarding problems with microchips incorporated within domestic appliances worldwide.

    Japan
  • Claims arising from the pesification regime in Argentina

    Advising on various claims arising out of the pesification regime in Argentina, with the focus being on whether changes to payment arrangements provided to concession holders constituted “expropriation” within the wording of the London market policy.

    Argentina

    Political risk insurer in an LCIA arbitration

    Successfully representing a political risk insurer in a LCIA arbitration relating to Venezuela

    Venezuela
  • USD 4 million cash in transit theft

    Acting for London market reinsurers in relation to cash in transit losses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following the theft of over USD 4 million in cash by the driver of one of the vehicles of the original insured, an armoured vehicle provider. We provided coverage advice in relation to the application of policy terms and conditions, including in respect of misrepresentation and non-disclosure arguments, under Saudi law.

    Saudi Arabia

    Entry into the Middle East market

    Assisting entry into the Middle East insurance market

    United Arab Emirates

    Advising on loss notified under a Jewellers Block Reinsurance Policy

    Advising a client in relation to a loss notified under a Jewellers Block Reinsurance Policy for damage suffered to items during transit between Dubai and Hong Kong. We advised on the scope of various policy exclusions, the proper basis of valuation and the deductible and limits.

    United Arab Emirates
  • Claims over the theft of a USD 2.6 Million coin collection

    Acting for underwriters in a claim for a coin collection valued at USD 2.6 million, which was allegedly stolen from the basement of the insured’s residence,and which cast doubt on whether the collection has ever existed, what it had contained and raised issues relating to the underwriting of the risk. We resolved the claim to the satisfaction of both underwriters and the insured

    Canada

    Successfully defending the Dispute Clause in an export credit insurer's accounts receivable policy

    Successfully defending the Dispute Clause in a large export credit insurer's accounts receivable (shipments) policy for the fifth time before Canadian courts, including favourable decisions of both the Quebec and the Ontario Courts of Appeal.

    Canada

    Advising on criminal and regulatory law considerations for recovering the artworks

    We advised a client on criminal and regulatory law considerations for recovering the artworks and entering into a reward agreement with an informant.

    United States
  • Insuring European basketball players

    Advising insurers on claims for European basketball players.

    Italy

    Olympic contingency wording

    We are experienced in handling a wide range of high-profile contingency cases, including recently advising on contingency wording for the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

    Russian Federation

    Art damage in storage and recovery of losses

    Assisting in the recovery of losses incurred by the owner of works by a leading 20th century painter, sculptor, print-maker and ceramicist following damage caused to a number of works stored by a well-known art packer and shipper

    Belgium

    The kidnapping of Shergar

    Advising on the kidnapping of the acclaimed Irish racehorse Shergar

    Ireland

    Recovery of stolen artworks from a museum

    Advising a client on the recovery of artworks stolen from a Dutch museum. We provided advice on the criminal and legal considerations for recovering the artworks and for negotiating any reward payment.

    Netherlands

    Advice on regulatory issues

    Advice on regulatory issues re life insurance/policy responding to the contingency of death

    United Kingdom

    Advising on reward payments for the recovery of artworks

    Advising a client on the recovery of artworks stolen from the residence of a private family estate. We also advised the client on the criminal and regulatory law considerations for making a reward payment for the recovery of the artworks.

    United Kingdom

    Advising on significant losses as a result of fraudulent artworks

    Acting for fine art insurers on a number of separate and significant losses in the London insurance market arising out of frauds originating in Germany, which involved the sale of an unknown number of forged works of early 20th century French and German artists. Acting for both the insured resellers and their insurers, assisting the insureds to identify fraudulent works and restore innocent buyers of forged works to their pre-purchase position.

    United Kingdom

    Cancellation of sporting events

    We are particularly experienced in the sporting industry, including advising on the cancellation of sporting events for reasons including flooding and earthquake

    United Kingdom

    Copyright litigation

    Copyright litigation representing insured film studio

    United Kingdom

Emerging Risks

Keep up to date on the latest emerging risks news and opinions from our industry experts

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Our Specialty team

Emma Ager
Emma Ager

Partner

Rosehana Amin
Rosehana Amin

Partner

Jane Andrewartha
Jane Andrewartha

Partner

Kathryn Ashton
Kathryn Ashton

Partner

Peter Barnes
Peter Barnes

Partner

Nicholas Bathurst
Nicholas Bathurst

Partner

Mark Beswetherick
Mark Beswetherick

Partner

Isabel Burón
Isabel Burón

Partner

Owen Carragher
Owen Carragher

Partner

Bruce Celebrezze
Bruce Celebrezze

Michelle Crorie
Michelle Crorie

Partner

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