Articles by Harry Curtis
Lockdown: Many insurer and broker offices to remain open as Lloyd's underwriting room closes
Insurers and brokers have told Post that the majority of their staff will continue to work from home and that offices will remain open to those few that need to access them, following the start of a third national lockdown in England.
Personal injury claimants mired in £240m pandemic litigation backlog for over a year
Road traffic accident claimants have waited over a year just for their cases to be heard in court due to backlogs exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an analysis of Ministry of Justice figures by Zurich.
Thingco secures £3m investment from BGL owner
Telematics insurtech Thingco has secured a £3m investment from BGL Group holding company owner BHL (UK) Holdings, Post can reveal.
Credit insurers warn of insolvency surge later this year as government extends trade credit scheme
The UK government-backed trade credit reinsurance scheme to guarantee up to £10bn of business-to-business transactions has been extended to run for the first half of 2021.
Q&A: McLarens' Kieran Gallagher and Dave Watts on hurricane season amid a pandemic
The 2020 hurricane season was unprecedented, both due to the number of storms and because it coincided with a global pandemic. Post spoke to McLarens’ Kieran Gallagher, executive director, and Dave Watts, executive adjuster and head of home foreign,…
Policyholders told to check cover as FCA imposes restrictions on insolvent construction broker
The Financial Conduct Authority has told customers who purchased cover through insolvent South West-based Professional Construction Risks Limited to contact their insurers directly to confirm the status of their policies.
No Supreme Court BI judgment before January, says FCA
Insurers and policyholders will have to wait until next year for the final outcome of the Financial Conduct Authority-led business interruption test case, according to an update from the regulator.
RSA names Steve Watson London market head
RSA has appointed Steve Watson as managing director of its London market business with immediate effect.
Intervene in contingency market by January to save 2021 events, government told
An open letter asking for the UK government to underwrite a Covid-19 contingency insurance product has been described as “a last throw of the dice” to save the 2021 entertainment and sporting calendar by one of the campaign’s architects.
Alarm sounded on bookings business that sold unauthorised Covid cancellation cover
The Financial Conduct Authority has issued a warning against a bookings software provider that marketed a cancellation insurance product to owners of UK holiday lets, following an investigation by Post.
FCA consults on proving presence of Covid-19 for BI claims
The Financial Conduct Authority has launched a consultation on guidance to policyholders, insurers and intermediaries on how the presence of Covid-19 in a particular area may be proved for the purposes of business interruption claims.
Co-op and Markerstudy: A deal 22 months in the making
Late on 25 November, the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority at last approved Markerstudy’s takeover of the Co-op’s underwriting business – 675 days on from when the deal was first announced.
Debenhams policies unscathed by chain's collapse, says Somerset Bridge
Insurance policies sold by Somerset Bridge through an affinity deal with Debenhams will be left by unscathed by the high street retailer’s collapse, the broker’s CEO Liz Bilney has told Post.
Interview: Julian James, Sompo International
Sompo International’s international insurance CEO Julian James sat down for a ‘virtual chinwag’ with Harry Curtis to talk returning from retirement, the business’s Lloyd’s exit and brand ambitions, the hardening market and ‘Armageddon scenarios’.
FCA's product governance proposals could have longer term impact than price walking ban
Proposed changes to the Financial Conduct Authority’s product governance rules could prove to have a greater long-term impact than the regulator’s prospective price walking ban, consumer research and compliance experts have said.
Q&A: Louise O'Shea, Confused
Louise O'Shea, CEO of Confused, spoke to Post about the comparison site's recent profits, its growth ambitions and what the FCA's pricing proposals will mean for consumers.
Lloyd's Brexit transfer of EEA business approved by High Court
Lloyd’s has received final approval from the High Court to transfer policies covering risks and policyholders in the European Economic Area to its Belgian subsidiary, Lloyd’s Europe.
Insurers told soul-searching, not superficial projects, will improve industry's reputation
Insurance companies must ensure they are “purpose-led” in order to restore the sector’s reputation, Blueprint for Better Business CEO Chris Wookey told members of the Worshipful Company of Insurers last week.
Lloyd's Brexit transfer decision expected next week after objection-free hearing
Lloyd’s is set to learn whether or not the High Court will approve a Brexit-necessitated transfer of European policies to its Belgian subsidiary next week, following the conclusion of a two-day sanctions hearing on Thursday.
Lloyd's faces 'lose-lose scenario' if High Court rejects Brexit transfer
Lloyd’s could face a “lose-lose scenario” of having to choose between not paying claims or risking regulatory or criminal sanctions, if a proposed transfer of European policies to its Brussels subsidiary is not approved today.
Local coronavirus cases did not cause national lockdown, BI insurers tell Supreme Court
The Supreme Court heard arguments from lawyers representing QBE, Argenta and MS Amlin on Monday as insurers began their appeal of the September judgment handed down in the Financial Conduct Authority’s business interruption test case.
Sompo's Lloyd’s exit about us, not them: international insurance CEO Julian James
Sompo’s decision, announced in April, to walk away from Lloyd’s at the end of this year was driven by the insurer’s ambitions rather than reservations about the Lloyd’s market itself, Sompo international insurance CEO Julian James has said.
Covéa fined €20m by Paris court in civil suit with Scor
Covéa and its CEO and chairman Thierry Derez have been fined €20.1m (£17.9m) by a Paris court for a breach of legal and fiduciary duties and obligations on the part of Derez in his role as a director of Scor.
Warranty insurer must pay £11,700 for discrimination against depressed employee
Structural defects warranty insurance provider MD Insurance Services has been ordered to pay £11,700 to an employee suffering with depression who, an employment tribunal ruled, had been treated unfavourably by the company.