James joined BCLP as a trainee in 2012 and qualified into the Insurance and Reinsurance team in 2014. Acting primarily for insurers and reinsurers, James has been exposed to a broad range of issues and disputes, including:

Coverage:

• Reinsurance claims arising from major losses such as COVID-19, 9/11, volcanic eruption, and other catastrophes.
• Construction/property claims including from fire, water damage, and cladding/Grenfell-related issues.
• Financial lines claims relating to coverage available under professional liability, W&I and D&O covers.

Defence:

• W&I claims arising, typically, from alleged tax indemnity and/or accounting warranty breaches.
• Professionals, including solicitors and barristers facing negligence or conduct allegations.
• Insurance market, including alleged breaches of coverholder or binding authority agreements, and broker follow-on claims.

Advisory:

• To pension trustees and annuity providers on de-risking transactions structured using insurance and reinsurance policies.
• Policy wording advice, including redrafting products to ensure they were Insurance Act 2015 compliant.
• Due diligence on insurance and reinsurance programs, including trade credit and credit default products.