The team advises a broad spectrum of industry participants, including life / non-life insurers, reinsurers, intermediaries, private equity investors and significant industry associations on the largest and most innovative domestic and cross-border transactions in the insurance sector in Ireland.
Keeping up with the pace of regulatory changes in the current business environment is one of the greatest challenges facing our clients. In Ireland, as part of the European Union, the regulatory landscape is constantly evolving and regulatory focus is increasing in areas such as sustainability, governance, risk and accountability.
Our technical ability, coupled with our emphasis on effective management and service means we can advise our clients on the challenges and risks they encounter due to these developments, as well as the opportunities they may present.
Insurance and Professional Indemnity Disputes
We also have a long-established practice in a broad range of professional indemnity and professional negligence disputes, as part of our market-leading Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations Group. We act for claimants and defendants in such actions, including financial institutions, public and private companies, and professional services firms.
We have acted in high-profile and high-value insurance disputes in the Irish Courts, as well as in arbitrations and mediations.
We have particular experience and expertise in complex policy interpretation and coverage issues, including from the early stages of a potential claim. We also advise on subrogation claims and act as monitoring/coverage counsel for insurers.
Relevant Experience: Deals
- Advising Covéa on acquisition of Partner Re Group, a Bermuda-based global reinsurer, for $9 billion total cash consideration.
- Advising Société Générale on acquisition of LeasePlan, including its Irish insurance undertaking Euro Insurances DAC.
- Advising CNP Assurance on acquisition of Aviva’s life insurance businesses in Italy, including taking over majority stake in a joint venture with UniCredit.
- Advising Swiss Re on various Irish matters, including portfolio transfers and mergers.
- Advising Generali on investment in Cattolica group and subsequent internal reorganisations.
- Advising GMIB shareholders on sale to AssuredPartners, a large US private equity-backed insurance broking group.
Relevant Experience: Disputes
- Advising a global general insurance company in a high-value (€10 million) and complex dispute relating to policy indemnification arising from an exclusionary clause in the policy. The case was the subject of litigation and arbitration.
- Acting for the policyholders in one of the leading Irish cases on insurance policy interpretation, Analog Devices v Zurich Insurance & Others, which involved a jurisdictional dispute and the application by the Irish court of Massachusetts law to an insurance policy.
- Acting for a major multinational insurer, as monitoring/coverage counsel, on Irish Commercial Court proceedings issued against its insured, alleging negligent termination of a contract to provide services in a foreign jurisdiction. This matter included further advice regarding a subrogated professional negligence claim against one of the advisors to the insured seeking damages of €13 million.
- Advising a global insurer on complex coverage issues arising from a significant material damage claim following a fire at a high-profile retail premises. The value of the claim was in excess of €35 million.
