Insurance

The global insurance industry faces challenges and uncertainty due to market and regulatory pressures and more recently, COVID-19 related exposures. In Europe, the regulatory landscape is constantly evolving and regulatory focus is increasing in areas such as governance, risk and accountability.

Our technical ability, coupled with our emphasis on effective management and continuous service means we are well placed to advise our clients on the challenges and risks they encounter due to these developments, as well as the opportunities they may present. Each of the lawyers in our team are part of a culture built on responsiveness, performance and innovation and are part of a firm that has held its place in the forefront of legal services in Ireland by placing our clients at the forefront of everything we do.

We consistently advise on the largest and most innovative domestic and cross-border transactions in the insurance sector in Ireland. As a cradle to grave practice, we also advise provide regulatory aspects on all stages of our clients’ life cycle from authorisation to corporate restructuring/administration and all the business as usual matters in between. We are supported as and when needed by a multi-disciplinary team of dedicated specialist lawyers in allied practice areas such as data protection and information technology, M&A, tax, competition, and pensions.

Our insurance sector focus is completed by both our Insurance disputes team and our Investigations team; which form part of our market leading litigation and dispute resolution practice.

Relevant Experience

• Acting for Swiss Re on a number of matters including ReAssure’s acquisition of the Guardian Financial Services, investment by MS&AD, and sale of Reassure to Phoenix Group
• Numerous insurers on complex Irish High Court sanctioned portfolio transfers and cross border mergers including RSA, AIG, Rothesay and Zurich, Randall and Quilter
• Advising on the administration and liquidation of insurers including issues of access to the Irish Insurance Compensation Scheme including CBL Insurance, Setanta and Quinn Insurance
• Advising Great West-Life Co on the acquisition of Irish Life Group for €1.3 billion
• Advising CNP on its €300 million acquisition of a 51% stake in Santander’s Irish insurance operations
• Advising EXOR on its $6.9 billion acquisition of the Partner Re Group
• Devising remediation plans for identified life insurance product issue
• Advising Insurance Ireland in respect of the European Commission anti-trust “dawn raid” investigations into the Insurance sector
• Advising on numerous insurance distribution arrangements (white labelled/ innovative platforms) including for 123.ie and KBC Insurance