Insurance in Guernsey

Bedell Cristin

Bedell Cristin acts as a one-stop-shop to Guernsey insurance clients, with a practice that spans products such as insurance-linked securities, captives, pension longevity risk swaps and traditional commercial insurance, as well as corporate and regulatory issues related to insurance companies. The department is led by Richard Sharp , who is knowledgeable in Guernsey insurance structures. Dylan Latimer  is noted for insurance regulatory work and corporate transactions. Senior associate James Walsh, who joined from Ogier in January 2022, brought with him substantial corporate transactional expertise. Associate Tendai Gakanje is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Richard Sharp

Other key lawyers:

Dylan Latimer; James Walsh; Tendai Gakanje

Testimonials

Bedells is a go to firm for prospects or clients looking to understand a little more about a legal issue, where there’s analysis to be undertaken they are thorough and clear where not they are honest and explain why not necessary. In this way they are very supportive of the insurance industry in Guernsey.’

I work with Richard Sharp who is pragmatic and works with integrity.’

Key clients

Artex Risk Solutions

FWU

Aon Insurance Management

First Central Group Limited

Lloyd’s of London

House Builders Federation

Sapphire Underwriting Limited

Falcon Insurance PCC

Robus Group

Work highlights

  • Advised Lloyd’s of London on its £650million reinsurance of its central fund using a Guernsey incorporated cell company.
  • Advised the Home Builders Federation on its Deposit Unlock scheme to provide 95% mortgages to buyers of new build homes.
  • Advised Aon in connection with its role on the Fujitsu pension longevity swap.

Carey Olsen

Carey Olsen has significant on- and offshore insurance expertise, which it brings to bear for an impressive mix of insurer clients with operations in Guernsey. The group is known for longevity risk transfers, transfers of long-term insurance business, in addition to insurance-related M&A. Christopher Anderson  is steeped in the insurance industry, regularly advising insurers, reinsurers and organisations administering defined-benefit pension plans on the waterfront of transactional and day-to-day advisory issues. He jointly leads the team with Konrad Friedlaender , who has experience in insurance licensing mandates. Natasha Kapp  is building a name for herself in relation to policy-related issues, while Arya Hashemi  is increasingly active for insurance-related M&A.

Practice head(s):

Christopher Anderson; Konrad Friedlaender

Other key lawyers:

Natasha Kapp; Arya Hashemi; James Cooke

Testimonials

Chris Anderson is an extremely hands-on and pragmatic lawyer and it is enjoyable working together. Arya Hashemi is also very good.’

Key clients

Artex Risk Solutions

MMC Treasury Holdings Limited (Marsh & McLennan)

Prudential Assurance Ltd

Phoenix Life Insurance Ltd

AON

Old Mutual

Aviva Life & Pensions

AXA

Euroben Life & Pensions

Monument Re

Humboldt Re

BT Pension Scheme Trustees Limited

Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund

British Airways Pension Trustees Ltd

Willis

Police Mutual Assurance Society Limited and The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited

Pacific Life Re Limited

Work highlights

  • Acted as lead counsel to the shareholder of Humboldt Re Limited on its sale to Marco Capital, a European property and casualty insurance run-off group.
  • Advising Police Mutual Assurance Society Limited and The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited on the transfer of the Guernsey long term insurance business, completed in conjunction with separate schemes in the UK and Jersey.
  • Advised Pacific Life Re on the transfer of the Guernsey long term reinsurance business of Pacific Life Re Limited to Pacific Life Re International Limited as part of a reorganisation of the Pacific Life Re group.  

Mourant

Mourant fields 'a strong insurance team with a good knowledge of how local laws tend to interact with laws in other jurisdictions'. The group, which sits between the corporate and litigation departments, is most known for focusing on insurance sector M&A deals, but it is also well-versed in policy and coverage issues, as well as issues pertaining to captive insurance linked securities and life insurance. Helen Wyatt  heads the team and alongside John Lewis, is adept at transactional work. Gordon Dawes  is an insurance litigation expert, focusing on professional indemnity. D&I, coverage and regulatory enforcement claims; also areas of focus for counsel Chantal Barrett.

Practice head(s):

Helen Wyatt

Other key lawyers:

John Lewis; Gordon Dawes; Chantal Barrett; Andrew Grant

Testimonials

A strong insurance team with a good knowledge of how local laws tend to interact with laws in other jurisdictions.’

John Lewis and Helen Wyatt know their stuff on the insurance. They are both very responsive and easy to work with.’

Key clients

Insurance Corporation of the Channel Islands

Prudential Assurance Corporation

Rothesay Life Plc

States of Guernsey

Work highlights

  • Advised The Prudential Assurance Company Limited and Rothesay Life plc on initial applications in Jersey and Guernsey, the continuation of the Jersey and Guernsey parallel proceedings as the sanction of the UK Part VII scheme was initially declined, appealed and then remitted back to the High Court in the UK, PAC and Rothesay’s interaction with the local regulators throughout, ultimately achieving the sanction the parallel Jersey and Guernsey schemes in November 2021.
  • Advised JP Morgan Chase on the Guernsey law issues of a facility provided by to Constellation IC Limited, a newly created Guernsey captive insurer. The finance provided by JP Morgan Chase was used by Constellation to provide provision of £650 million five-year multi-layered cover for Lloyd’s Central Fund, reimbursing aggregate payments from the Central Fund in excess of £600 million up to £1.25 billion.
  • Advised Ravenscroft on the share purchase of MitonOptimal Portfolio Management (CI) Limited and Verity Life Limited. The Guernsey aspects of this transaction included advising on and negotiating the terms of the share purchase agreement and its ancillary documents as well as assisting with completion matters.

Walkers

At Walkers, the insurance team is set up to handle all aspects of Guernsey insurance law, under the ‘knowledgeable, pragmatic, clear and engaging‘ leadership of Kate Storey , who heads the overall cross-jurisdictional insurance practice at the firm. Areas of expertise include the formation and regulation of insurance structures, insurance sector M&A, regulatory and coverage issues, as well as the use of insurance wrappers as a wealth structuring tool. Jessica Robinson , after recent promotion to senior counsel, is another lawyer to note, with experience in insurance-related corporate transactions.

Practice head(s):

Kate Storey

Other key lawyers:

Jessica Robinson

Testimonials

The Walkers team and Kate Storey in particular are very supportive of the insurance industry in Guernsey. They are committed to the long term success of the industry as a whole and their clients in particular contributing to thought leadership, product development and to enable prospects to turn ideas into reality.’

I deal with Kate Storey in particular who works in a flexible and responsive way to support our clients to develop insurance solutions which meet their needs. She is innovative and always up for a challenge. Kate communicates regularly to ensure all parties are kept up to date and expectations are met.’

Kate Storey has a deep understanding of the complexities of longevity swap transactions and highly responsive in recognition of challenging transaction time frames.’

The company has very strong local expertise and it is very well known on the island and is highly regarded.’

Kate Storey was the lead Partner on the Walkers team, and was central to providing us with the advice we needed. She pulled in her colleagues as needed to provide us with additional advice on ancillary issues, and was proactive in her advice.’

Kate Storey is knowledgeable, pragmatic, clear and engaging. I trusted her to walk the client through the issue and enable their understanding in a clear and simplistic way – a challenge given the complex nature of the issues she was assisting with.

Key clients

Guernsey International Insurance Association

White Rock Insurance Company PCC Limited

ICL Pension Trust Limited

ICL IC Limited

Prudential Staff Pensions Limited

Scafell Insurance IC Limited

Quest Group

Kistler Underwriting Guernsey ICC Limited

Allied Universal Security Services LLC

g Reinsurance Limited

Astaara Company Limited

ANT Insure

Fuel Insurance PCC Limited

Steadfast Group Limited

Work highlights

  • Providing a multi-jurisdictional insurance market survey to Guernsey International Insurance Association
  • Advised ICL Pension Trust, the UK pension scheme of Fujitsu, on a £3.7bn longevity risk hedge using a Guernsey incorporated cell captive.
  • Advised the Danish Red Cross on using Guernsey to domicile its innovative catastrophe bond structure, hailed as a world first in sustainable finance, being the very first humanitarian catastrophe bond covering pure volcanic eruption.