Who’s Who Legal brings together Rod S Attride-Stirling at ASW Law Ltd, Zhan Hao at AnJie Law Firm, Martín G Argañaraz Luque at Allende & Brea, Christoph K Graber at Prager Dreifuss Ltd, and Scott Seaman at Hinshaw Culbertson LLP to discuss issues facing insurance and reinsurance lawyers and their clients in the industry today.

Stuart S Carruthers, Stikeman Elliott LLP

In this article, Stuart Carruthers at Stikeman Elliott assesses recent regulatory developments in the Canadian market, highlighting particularly the draft of the Revised Corporate Governance Guideline.

Hugo Keulers, Lydian

This article discusses two important features of the direction action against liability insurers under Belgian law. First, the Belgian Supreme Court has rendered an important decision regarding a discussion on the interpretation and application of the sunset clause in article 142 of the Insurance Act of 4 April 2014. Second, the Belgian direct action system is also much broader than the direct action that is allowed against indemnity/liability insurers in other EU jurisdictions. However, the application of the Belgian direct action in an international context has been challenged in Belgian case law.

By Scott M Seaman, Hinshaw & Culbertson

Scott Seaman explores the most significant trends and developments that the US insurance market has experienced over the past year, including landmark decisions and the growing prevalence of cyber claims and data privacy matters. 

By Tricia Hobson of Norton Rose Fulbright

Neither insurers nor lawyers have traditionally been considered innovators. Indeed, it has been said that the only thing insurance and innovation have in common is their place in the dictionary.

But this is no longer true. The insurance industry is rapidly evolving in order to adapt to advances in technology. Phrases such as “data breaches”, “the sharing economy” and “autonomous vehicles” have now entered the general lexicon, and insurers are grappling with how to assess and quantify risks never previously encountered

The 16^th edition of Who’s Who Legal: Insurance and Reinsurance provides comprehensive insight into the foremost practitioners in the field. Those included proficiently handle a wide array of contentious and non-contentious issues including regulatory compliance, coverage disputes and transactions, among other areas.

This year, our analysis sees us list 675 of the premier practitioners from over 300 firms in 52 jurisdictions around the globe.

This year our research has identified 44 outstanding experts from 25 firms who are renowned for their capability advising clients on an array of complex matters in the insurance industry.

This year, Who’s Who Legal interviewed over 40 leading insurance and reinsurance lawyers and expert witnesses to find out more about market trends. Sources we spoke to identified a number of hot topics, including ongoing consolidation in the market, cybercrime, and an increased emphasis on compliance and governance, all of which are discussed here.

The 14^th edition of Who’s Who Legal: Insurance and Reinsurance is a comprehensive guide to the leading practitioners and expert witnesses in the field.

Our analysis of the foremost insurance and reinsurance lawyers worldwide comprises 656 listings from over 300 firms across 55 jurisdictions. 

Now in its third year, our list of insurance and reinsurance experts details the practitioners who are invaluable to lawyers, providing evidence in court and delivering the highest-quality expertise on insurance coverage and claims, loss allocation, and quantum of damages.

This year we highlight 50 individuals across the US, England and Australia who stand out as leaders in the field.

FTI Consulting, Navigant and Berkeley Research Group, among others, are highlighted as the leading consultancy firms in our research. 

Consolidation, increased regulation and cybercrime are the main themes that have dominated the global insurance and reinsurance market over the past 12 months, with lawyers pinpointing them as significant areas of focus in their practice. As the market undergoes an unusually long “soft” period, industry players and practitioners alike are having to adapt and find ever more innovative and strategic solutions.  

The 13^th edition of Who's Who Legal: Insurance & Reinsurance sees 680 names recommended from over 300 firms across 56 countries.

Now in its second year, the insurance and reinsurance expert witnesses included in our listings are a crucial asset to lawyers, providing evidence on insurance coverage and claims, risk transfer, valuations and damages. This year we highlight 28 leading individuals across the US, England and Australia.

Among others, we highlight FTI Consulting, Berkeley Research Group and Navigant as the top consultancy firms in this field.

The word on all lawyers’ lips this year was “cybercrime”, pegged to be the “next big thing” in the insurance market. The British government recently estimated the potential cost of a single cyber-attack at up to £20 billion, highlighting the potentially devastating impact that major attacks could have. As some lawyers prepare clients for this new liability, others have been working to ensure clients are compliant with Europe’s Solvency II regulations which came into force at the start of the year.

The 12^th edition of Insurance & Reinsurance is a comprehensive analysis of the market, featuring 559 leading practitioners from 280 firms across 58 jurisdictions.

Only a relatively small number of law firms can boast a global network of leading insurance lawyers. Clyde & Co has a truly international insurance practice that has stand-out lawyers in 10 major financial centres. Hogan Lovells also impresses with its expansive offering, taking a leading position in both the EU and US markets.

Sidley Austin maintains a noteworthy position in our research with outstanding offices in Chicago, New York and London. Norton Rose Fulbright is similarly well established with a strong array of lawyers in Europe, South Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

Stand-out offerings in the highly competitive US market include the newly merged Locke Lord and Covington & Burling; meanwhile, Conyers Dill & Pearman is recognised for its dominant position in the offshore insurance sector.

We have also identified the most highly regarded individuals in this area. This year, we recognise seven lawyers both in the US and in Europe, and four from elsewhere.