Insurance in Luxembourg

Allen & Overy Luxembourg

Underpinned by a strong regulatory understanding of the market and able to draw upon experts across the firm’s full-service offering, including as it relates to M&A, capital markets and investment funds, the multidisciplinary team at Allen & Overy Luxembourg provides ‘pragmatic advice’ to insurers, reinsurers, brokers and banks across a wide range and volume of significant mandates in the sector. Team head Paul Péporté recently worked alongside lawyers in the corporate team to provide the regulatory advice to Allianz on the transfer of insurance portfolios it manages to Foyer Group, a Luxembourg-based insurance company. Pierre Schleimer is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Paul Péporté

Other key lawyers:

Pierre Schleimer; Helena Finn

Testimonials

‘The team is responsive, diverse and intelligent.’

‘They have a great understanding of the client’s business and provide pragmatic advice that is tailored exactly to the client’s needs.’

Work highlights

  • Advised Allianz on the transfer of insurance portfolios managed by Allianz Insurance Luxembourg and Allianz Life Luxembourg to Foyer Group.

Arendt & Medernach

One of the few firms in the market with a standalone offering in the sector and able to leverage a 'very strong relationship with the regulator', Arendt & Medernach 'not only knows the law and regulations, but also, knows how these are applied'. Consequently, the team is well-placed to provide discrete regulatory advice, as well as to advise on M&A in the sector, the roll out of new products and assisting insurance companies establish in Luxembourg as their European hub (particularly attractive in a post Brexit world). 'Highly respected by the supervisory authorities', team head Pierre-Michaël de Waersegger  has 'a very high technical level in insurance law' and is central to most of the significant mandates handled by the team, including in the context of national and cross-border regulatory investigations. Recently promoted to partner, Emmanuelle Mousel also 'understands how the regulatory regime works', and alongside Christian Point is another key member of the team.

Practice head(s):

Pierre-Michaël de Waersegger

Other key lawyers:

Christian Point; Emmanuelle Mousel

Testimonials

The firm has very good knowledge on local market practices and more importantly an excellent relationship with the regulator. The team is able to provide trusted advice on short notice based on precedents already tested with the regulator.’

The firm has a strong regulatory insurance team, which not only knows the law and regulations, but also, knows how these are applied. The firm’s ability to know what would or would not be acceptable to the regulator makes it the “go to” law firm for regulatory advice.’

‘Pierre-Michael de Waersegger has a very high technical level in insurance law and is highly respected by the supervisory authorities.’

‘Pierre-Michaël de Waersegger and Emmanuelle Mousel give clear, and pragmatic advice. They understand how the regulatory regime works, and provide the advice needed.’

Key clients

AIG Europe and the wider AIG group

BarentsRe

CNA Hardy

Crédit Agricole Life Insurance

Credit Suisse

Edmond de Rothschild Assurances et Conseils

Edmond de Rothschild Europe

ERGO Life

Foyer Assurance

Foyer Santé/Foyer Global Health

FWU Life Insurance Lux

Hyperion Group

iptiQ EMEA P&C

iptiQ Life

Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe and the wider Liberty group

Liberty Mutual Specialty Market

Lloyds Insurance Company

Lombard International Assurance

MunichRe

RSA Luxembourg and the wider RSA group

SKP Re and the wider SKP group

Swiss Re Europe

Swiss Re International

The Britannia Steam Ship Insurance Association Europe

Tokio Marine Europe and the wider Tokio Marine group

TransRe Europe

Wealins

West of England

Work highlights

  • Advising S-Kreditpartner GmbH (“SKP”) in establishing a reinsurance company in Luxembourg (“SKP Re S.A.”), dedicated to reinsuring the risks deriving from the payment protection insurance policies (“PPI”) subscribed by the SKP group in relation to their loan portfolio.
  • Advising Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A (“AGI”), Italy’s largest and amongst the world’s top ten largest insurance companies, in the context of the additional acquisition by AGI of all the outstanding shares of Società Cattolica di Assicurazioni Soc. Coop, which itself controls 100% of CATTRE S.A.

Pinsent Masons

Formerly part of Wildgen, the insurance team at Pinsent Masons remains one of the premier practices in the country and is afforded added bandwidth to more effectively advise on cross-border mandates by virtue of its new platform’s international network. Key to the success of the practice is counsel Silvia Bracaloni, whose work in private practice, as well as in-house, have ensured that she has gained ‘large experience in the Luxembourg insurance industry’ and is able to provide ‘detailed analyses’ as it relates to insurance regulation, insurance distribution, life and non-life insurance product design, insurance-related claims and litigation. Michel Bulach heads the team.

Practice head(s):

Michel Bulach

Other key lawyers:

Giuseppe Cafiero; Silvia Bracaloni

Testimonials

The team is responsive and provides very precise advice.’

‘Knowledge in insurance, in particular life insurance in a cross-border context.’

‘Silvia Bracaloni is considered a top gun of insurance topics in Luxembourg, if not the best one.’

Work highlights

    Clifford Chance

    Clifford Chance is effectively able to draw upon experts within the finance, corporate and litigation teams, in particular, with significant regulatory know-how and strong track records in the space, both domestically and internationally (where the office is able to effectively leverage its large international network). Corporate and capital markets co-head Christian Kremer has a strong grounding in the sector and as well as often handling M&A in the space, has regularly provided advice to several insurance groups with a presence in the UK on the impact of Brexit on their business operations, both in the UK and in Luxembourg. Counsel Udo Prinzhas excellent regulatory insurance knowledge and is creative in finding solutions’. 

    Practice head(s):

    Christian Kremer

    Other key lawyers:

    Albert Moro; Udo Prinz

    Testimonials

    ‘Udo Prinz has excellent regulatory insurance knowledge and is creative in finding solutions.’

    Key clients

    Premia

    FIA, Inc. (global trade organization for the futures, options and centrally cleared derivatives markets)

    Bundesverband deutscher Banken e.V. / Association of German Banks

    International InsurTech (Insurance Brokerage) Group

    Nordic Bank

     

    Work highlights

    • Advised Premia in relation to the acquisition of an indirect participation in a Luxembourg reinsurance undertaking and advised and assisted them on the change of control notification and approval process with the Luxembourg insurance regulator.
    • Advised InsurTech Group and its top parent company in relation to the Luxembourg regulatory notification and approval processes with the Luxembourg insurance regulator CAA in connection with the shareholding structure changes triggered by several funding rounds on the top parent holding company level.
    • Advising a Luxembourg insurance group on the acquisition of a London headquartered life insurance company with a presence in Luxembourg, including, amongst others, advising and assisting on due diligence, antitrust and change of control filings.

    CMS

    Co-headed by Vivian Walry and Benjamin Bada, CMS provides a range of standalone regulatory advice to clients in the sector, as well as advising on the rolling out of new products, establishment of business operations in Luxembourg, as well as on insurance-related M&A. As well as acting for established entities including Allianz and Aon, the team also regularly advises insurtech startups as they seek to scale up their businesses.

    Practice head(s):

    Vivian Walry; Benjamin Bada

    Key clients

    Allianz

    Aon

    Zurich

    Chubb

    AXA

    AIG

    Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE

    Bupa

    Work highlights

      Luther S.A.

      The arrival in June 2022 of Karine Vilret from Wildgen has kickstarted Luther S.A.'s offering in the insurance space, in light of her advisory, regulatory and contentious expertise, gleaned over many years advising life, non-life and reinsurance entities in the market.

      Practice head(s):

      Karine Vilret

      Other key lawyers:

      Nicolas Melmer

      Key clients

      Bâloise Groupe Luxembourg

      La Mondiale Europartner Luxembourg S.A.

      SWISS Life France

      SUEZ RE

      SOCIETE GENERALE ASSURANCES

      ICM LIFE SA

      HELVETIA ASSURANCES S.A.

      AXA Assurances Luxembourg S.A.

      PICTET & CIE (EUROPE) S.A.

      Allianz Life Luxembourg

      CUBE INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGERS

      Work highlights

      • Represented Bâloise Vie Luxembourg in numerous disputes, including successfully defending it in a long-running class action involving 31 Luxembourgish and Belgian applicants.    

      MOLITOR Avocats à la Cour SARL

      The 'responsive' team at MOLITOR Avocats à la Cour SARL has 'outstanding expertise in the insurance sector', in both the life and non-life segments of the market and provides 'very commercial and proactive advice' to both insurers and policyholders regarding litigation, including on coverage issues. Team head Michel Molitor 'combines great legal skills with pragmatic and efficient assistance'. 

      Practice head(s):

      Michel Molitor

      Other key lawyers:

      Jacques Wolter; François Cautaerts; Sophie Lamothe; Ariane Wourwoukas

      Testimonials

      The whole insurance team is very efficient and has an outstanding expertise in the insurance sector (both life and non-life).’

      ‘The responsive team provides very commercial and proactive advice.’

      ‘Their explanation of the legal issues from the governing law perspective is very clear and they have a clear litigation strategy.’

      ‘Michel Molitor is a big name in insurance on the Luxembourg market and combines great legal skills with pragmatic and efficient assistance!’

      Work highlights