Firms To Watch: Insurance: foreign firms

With the additions of Summer Montague from RPC Premier Law and Andrew Robinson from DLA Piper in August 2022, the DAC Beachcroft LLP team regularly advises insurers on a broad range of matters covering property and casualty, financial lines, cyber, aviation, and regulatory and compliance.

Insurance: foreign firms in Singapore

Clyde & Co Clasis Singapore

Clyde & Co Clasis Singapore’s insurance team remains a sizeable force acting throughout the region. With considerable expertise in contentious and non-contentious matters, the team regularly acts for major insurers and reinsurers, and is well-placed to leverage the firm’s global footprint to provide a full-service offering. Practice leader Ian Roberts operates across the London and Singapore offices, and brings experience in insurance coverage disputes and financial lines across the region, while Ik Wei Chong and Andrew Bicknell focus on shipping and marine insurance matters. Nicholas Sykes advises on a broad range of sizeable property, energy, and engineering mandates, and Vanessa Lim handles non-marine issues, such as political risk and trade credit matters.

Practice head(s):

Ian Roberts


Other key lawyers:

Ik Wei Chong; Nicholas Sykes; Andrew Bicknell; Vanessa Lim


Testimonials

‘They are responsive, available and willing to support our business, making considerable sacrifices in order to do so.’

‘Refined skills and experiences in advising on complex issues in marine insurance and maritime law. Able to provide wider perspective view in resolving issues.’

HFW Singapore LLP

HFW Singapore LLP’s team excels in transport insurance-related matters, especially in aviation and shipping. Acting for a large roster of insurers, including national flag carriers and leading insurance companies, the practice advises on an extensive range of incidents and crisis management situations. On the aviation side, the group advises on high-profile cases involving catastrophic incidents and other major airport claims, while on the shipping, offshore and logistics front, the team is renowned for its breadth of services covering collisions, as well as a wide spectrum of other marine insurance matters. Mert Hifzi  leads the aerospace practice and has experience in acting across aviation liability, major accidents, and coverage disputes. Kate Seaton is another key contact for aviation disputes, while Toby Stephens heads the admiralty and crisis management team and has a fine standing in marine insurance and crisis management.

Practice head(s):

Mert Hifzi; Toby Stephens


Other key lawyers:

James Jordan; Kate Seaton


Kennedys Legal Solutions

One of the largest insurance teams in the region, the practice at Kennedys Legal Solutions represents numerous insurers and reinsurers on high-profile mandates throughout the sector. ‘An excellent team with a good attitude and approach to driving solutions’, the practice is broad, deep, and knowledgeable throughout a wide range of sectors and jurisdictions, with considerable contentious and non-contentious capabilities. Julian Wallace regularly advises insurers, financial institutions, and pharmaceutical companies, with a focus on financial lines and trade credit. Alongside these, Wallace also has experience advising on other areas such as loss of business claims and cyber related-matters. Ben Nicholson has a strong focus on property, energy, and construction mandates, with work including major losses and damages, as well as casualty and operational risks work. Anita Quy, head of aviation, is another key member and brings expertise in aviation-related matters, such as catastrophic losses.

Practice head(s):

Julian Wallace; Ben Nicholson; Anita Quy


Other key lawyers:

Patrick Yeo; Hui Ying Lim


Testimonials

‘We have always found the firm to be efficient, professional and all the team have a vast amount of knowledge and expertise in the aviation sector.’

‘Anita Quy heads up the team and our dealings with her have always been a pleasure. She is very good to work with and her knowledge is exceptional as is the whole team.’

‘An excellent team with a good attitude and approach to driving solutions.’

DLA Piper

DLA Piper’s insurance team is an active player across the region, regularly assisting insurers and reinsurers on both transactional, corporate, and disputes work. The practice has considerable experience advising on matters concerning warranty and indemnity, M&A, and insurance-linked securities, with other key areas of expertise including D&Os, catastrophic incidents, casualty matters, political risk, and business disruption. With over 30 years’ experience, John Goulios brings wide-reaching expertise across a broad range of non-contentious and contentious mandates, and is well-placed to advise on cross-border insurance disputes.

Practice head(s):

John Goulios


Other key lawyers:

Katherine Chew; Apoorva Paranjpe


Testimonials

‘John Goulios is knowledgeable when it comes to advising on claims and is familiar with de-risking projects.’

Key clients

Swiss Re International SE


Brit Syndicates Limited


Tokyo Marine Kiln


Allianz SE Reinsurance Munich


AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte Ltd


Chubb Insurance Singapore Ltd


Liberty Specialty Markets Pte Ltd


Partner Reinsurance Asia Pte Ltd


Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE


Work highlights


  • Acting for Swiss Re in the highly publicised Second COVID-19 Test Case issued in the Federal Court in Australia.
  • Acting as underwriter’s counsel on warranty and indemnity policies relating to various Asia M&A deals.
  • Advising a number of insurers and others following the major explosion at a chemical factory complex in Samut Prakan, Thailand.

Norton Rose Fulbright

Norton Rose Fulbright acts for major banks and financial institutions across the insurance sector. The team offers a broad range of services across corporate and transactional matters, including M&A, joint ventures, and regulatory compliance, with work also encompassing up-and-coming fields like cyberbreach and insuretech. In addition, the practice is experienced in conducting investigations in areas such as anti-money laundering. Anna Tipping  heads the firm’s Asia Pacific insurance practice and has been involved in cross-border insurance M&A transactions across the region, bringing considerable expertise on credit default risks. Craig Loveless is also noteworthy for his work in acquisitions, disposals, and restructurings.

Practice head(s):

Anna Tipping


Other key lawyers:

Craig Loveless


Testimonials

‘Anna Tipping and her team bring a great deal of legal and market expertise on the cases.’

‘Anna Tipping has been a valued and trusted legal counsel, who has always been willing to listen to our challenges and provide her advices in a continuously evolving landscape.’

Key clients

ABN Amro


AIG


Allianz


Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank


AXA


Black Sea Trade & Development Bank


BNP Paribas


Commonwealth Bank of Australia


Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank


Citibank


Deutsche Bank


DBS Bank


FM Global


Howden Insurance Broking Group


HSBC


ICBC Standard Bank


Investec Bank


JP Morgan


Kommunalkredit


Macquarie Bank


MS Amlin


NIBC N.V.


Nord LB


OCBC


QBE


RBS & Natwest


Scor


Singlife


Standard Chartered Bank


Swiss Reinsurance


Vodafone & Vodafone Insurance


Zurich Insurance


Work highlights


  • Advise numerous global financial institutions as to whether credit default insurance purchased by them to protect against the risk of non-payment by obligors meets the legal requirements imposed by Basel III and the relevant local implementing regulations.
  • Advising AWP Health & Life SA on its proposed acquisition of certain businesses from Aetna Life Insurance Company and Aetna International Inc. This follows on from an aborted share sale auction last year.

RPC Premier Law

Noted for its capability in handling advisory matters and disputes, RPC Premier Law regularly undertakes policy coverage, damage, and business interruption work, with a number of mandates throughout casualty, construction, financial, marine, and cyber lines. Antony Sassi leads the regional practice, with other central members of the Singapore team including Mark Errington, a highly experienced lawyer with comprehensive industry knowledge covering property, engineering, and construction matters, alongside large-scale natural catastrophes and political violence cases. Iain Anderson is prominent in the marine and offshore insurance sectors, where he is frequently involved in casualty response, investigatory, and recovery matters.

Practice head(s):

Antony Sassi


Other key lawyers:

Mark Errington; Iain Anderson; Carmel Green


Testimonials

‘RPC are a top insurance firm.’

‘Carmel Green is able to understand what the client wants quickly and delivers good commercial advice.’

Key clients

AIG


Allianz


AXA XL Catlin


AXIS


Generali


Hiscox


Munich Re


Skuld


Zurich


Work highlights


  • Assisting a global insurer client with localising various cyber technology and miscellaneous professional indemnity insurance policies for use in Singapore and Hong Kong.
  • Acted for a committee of Singapore and PRC insurers handling a large claim for Taiwanese lead insurers for property damage during the construction of an offshore LNG supply terminal in Asia.