The Legal 500

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert has a superb name as a market leader for insurance work, which is a mainstay practice for the firm. The team handles professional indemnity, D&O claims, financial lines and product liability work. Litigator David Smyth has a notable depth of expertise, and Richard Keady is also recommended on the disputes side. The team is currently advising Essar on two solicitor negligence claims, and clients include ACE, CV Starr and QBE. Antony Sassi made partner in May 2011. Andrew Horton handles marine insurance work.

At Deacons, Christina Hung and Michael Turnbull lead the large team, which advises insurance and reinsurance companies on defence litigation work and professional indemnity claims. The client roster includes Essar Insurance Services, Royal & Sun Alliance, Aviva Life Insurance and Swiss Reinsurance. The group also has a depth of experience advising on personal injury matters, and is well known for its expertise in this arena.

Displaying a ‘rare degree of commercial business acumen coupled with sound technical skills’, Kennedys covers a great depth of insurance work, from financial lines work to D&O, professional indemnity and casualty claims. Chris Sharrock, who ‘distils technical language into a user-friendly form’, and Rupert Skrine lead in contentious cases, and are currently providing coverage advice regarding negligent placing of insurance under a professional indemnity policy. Clients include Allianz, Chartis and AXA. Meiling Yip and Kelly Wong lead on the casualty side. Non-contentious partner Richard Bates ‘approaches new ideas with enthusiasm’, and has experience advising life insurers in Hong Kong, including ACE Life.

Mayer Brown JSM is rated for its ‘professional, efficient and pragmatic approach’ and for ‘preserving clients’ reputations’. It is particularly known on the contentious side, where the ‘very professional’ Angela Yim, who is ‘good at handling complicated cases’, is singled out. The highly recommended Tow Lu Lim advises on professional indemnity and D&O claims, and recently assisted Chartis Insurance Hong Kong in this respect. Jacob Tse handles cases of medical malpractice, and counts the Hospital Authority as a key client.

Providing a ‘very prompt service’ and ‘helpful advice’, Reed Smith Richards Butler is highly rated for medical insurance, professional negligence and professional indemnity claims, and also has experience in marine-related insurance work. Chris Howse is rated as ‘top drawer’ for clinical negligence matters. Kevin Bowers advises on professional indemnity claims.

The ‘very efficient, professional and knowledgeable’ team at Allens Arthur Robinson advises on financial lines work and D&O claims. The ‘talented, practical and diligent’ Simon McConnell is praised for his ‘excellent insurance industry knowledge’. McConnell and the ‘very good’ Mun Yeow recently advised several insurance companies on various US class actions and US derivative actions, and also assisted on product liability claims involving PRC companies. On the non-contentious side, the team handles policy drafting work and regulatory matters. Clients include Allianz, Federal/Chubb and Markel International.

The ‘very customer-centric’ team at DLA Piper has an ‘exceptional understanding and knowledge of complex insurance issues’, both in contentious claims and non-contentious advisory matters. The ‘extremely responsive’ Will Harrison leads the team, and provides ‘high quality and succinct advice’. Harrison is advising Allied World Assurance Company as defence counsel to the IPO liability line-slip policy, and is also advising Chartis on the drafting of its D&O policy. Roy Chan provides support from the Shanghai office. Jamie Sparkes left the firm in May 2011 to join insurer Marsh.

Herbert Smith acts primarily in contentious insurance cases, calling on its ‘fantastic’ disputes practice. ‘Excellent litigator’ Gareth Thomas leads the commercial litigation and insurance teams, and advises on professional lines liability and complex claims of property covers, as well as D&O claims. Senior consultant Michael Withington advises on professional indemnity.

The ‘tactical and effective’ team at Ince & Co handles marine-related insurance work, stemming from its top-tier shipping practice, but the firm also advises on broader contentious and non-contentious insurance work. Clients praise the group’s ‘pragmatic advice’ and ‘diplomatic manner’. Rosita Lau advises all the leading container terminal operators of Hong Kong and their insurers, and also acts for the UK P&I Club. Offering ‘ample experience and knowledge’, Kelvin Lee is ‘able to conduct a detailed analysis of a case and provide clear insight and advice’. In 2010, Lee successfully acted for broker company MST Hong Kong in a professional negligence case.

At Baker & McKenzie, Paul Tan leads a team of six other partners in advising on a range of contentious and non-contentious matters. Tan, together with the ‘responsive and helpful’ Martin Tam, who has experience in investor protection and data privacy protection matters, is currently advising an insurance company on a Privacy Commissioner Investigation into Octopus, following the selling of personal data of cardholders. Gary Seib handles professional negligence and professional indemnity claims, and the team is appointed to the Solicitors Indemnity Fund’s panel.

Mark Shipman leads the insurance group at Clifford Chance, supported by Roger Denny in non-contentious matters, while Brian Gilchrist handles contentious cases. The team advises insurers on wealth management platforms, particularly those in China. Clients include Standard Life, Aon, Swiss Re and Manulife.

With expertise in the shipping sector, Clyde & Co is highly rated for marine insurance work. Gloria Jones advises on a range of matters including professional indemnity, personal injury and policy liability issues, and typically represents P&I clubs, airlines, and local and international insurers.

Holman Fenwick Willan has experience in marine-related insurance work, and also has a very active non-marine insurance practice. George Lamplough and Nick Longley are highly recommended. The team recently assisted an insurer client facing a construction liability claim, and also provides policy advice to other clients.

Simmons & Simmons has seen an an increase in professional liability claims, and has substantial expertise in this area. Robert Lewington has over 25 years’ experience in the field, and is currently advising Beazley in a claims case.

Providing ‘extremely high levels of service’, the ‘prompt, proactive and very commercial’ team at Stephenson Harwood advises on insurance and reinsurance, and is strong in both contentious and non-contentious matters. Consultant Alex Gordon has a ‘very good understanding of the insurance industry’. Supporting the team in Singapore is Steven Dewhurst, who gives ‘to the point and pragmatic advice’. Guijun Wang successfully advised the People’s Insurance Company of China (PICC) defending a claim relating to sunken cargo. Karen To joined from Baker & McKenzie, and brings experience in D&O claims and product liability matters.