Course overview
In today’s reinsurance market, claims are where value is proven - or lost. As losses become more complex, long-tailed and global in nature, effective claims management is no longer purely operational; it is a critical driver of financial performance, contractual certainty and market reputation.
From the interpretation of key contract clauses to the management of long-tail liabilities, insolvencies and cross-border disputes, reinsurance professionals are operating in an increasingly challenging environment. Recent developments - including evolving case law, COVID-19 claims, US litigation trends and heightened scrutiny around claims control - have reinforced the need for precision, consistency and robust processes.
This intensive one-day programme provides a practical, end-to-end view of reinsurance claims management, focusing on how contracts perform in real-world scenarios. It examines the clauses that matter most, the operational challenges that arise in complex claims, and the legal and market developments shaping current best practice.
Led by experienced market practitioners, the course combines technical insight with practical application, covering:
- The interpretation and operation of key reinsurance clauses, including follow provisions, claims control and notification
- The impact of the Insurance Act 2015 on claims handling and conditions precedent
- Current UK and US legal developments affecting claims outcomes
- The realities of managing long-tail claims and locating historical documentation
- Differences in claims practices across major reinsurance markets
- The implications of run-off, insolvency and systemic risk on recoveries
- The evolution of electronic claims handling in the London Market
Throughout the day, real-world examples and case insights will highlight where claims management can fail - and how it can be strengthened to improve efficiency, reduce disputes and protect recoveries.
Whether you are directly involved in claims handling or responsible for oversight and strategy, this course will equip you with the practical tools and insight needed to manage reinsurance claims with confidence in a complex and evolving market.
CPD Hours: 6
Course Content
- Day 1
- Key contract clauses from a reinsurance claims perspective - Part 1
- Key contract clauses from a reinsurance claims perspective - Part 2
- Inspection of records
- Current developments in the US/UK affecting the reinsurance market
- Long tail claims and the difficulties in tracking down relevant documentation
- Reinsurance claims management - US v the UK v Continental Europe
- Run-Off and insolvency and its impact on reinsurance claims
- London Market electronic claims file
Speakers
Phillippa Rowe
Phillippa Rowe, senior partner of independent reinsurance consultants Phillippa Ross & Co., has over 30 years experience of insurance and reinsurance claims in Lloyd’s and the London market and internationally. She began her reinsurance career with 15 years with the Kiln group at Lloyd’s. She currently acts as arbitrator, mediator, expert witness and technical consultant in a wide range of claims, wordings and market practice matters and writes, lectures and provides training courses on similar subjects.
Richard Cook
Richard Cook is
Managing Director of PICC Solutions. He was previously Head of
Technical Adjusting at Charles
Taylor Insurance Services and Head of Reinsurance at Xchanging Claims
Services. He has over 37 years insurance claims experience in the
Lloyd’s and London Insurance Company Market; joining Xchanging from a
specialist Reinsurance Lloyd’s Managing Agency, where
he was the Group Claims Manager. He has served on numerous major London
Market claims committees and has appeared as a Fact Witness in coverage
litigation before various United States Federal and State Courts. He
has acted as an Expert Witness on London Market
Claims Practice in the United States Federal Court in New York and in
the High Court in London.
Russell Streeter
Russell Streeter is a Chartered Certified Accountant with over 20 years’ experience in insurance and reinsurance businesses in Europe, the Caribbean and Asia. He joined Quest Group as Associate Director in 2020, with a focus on financial reporting, modelling and due diligence. Quest is an international legacy specialist focused on acquiring discontinued insurance business and managing (re)insurance portfolios in run-off, with over half a billion dollars of claims under management.
James Bolton
James Bolton is a Chartered Accountant and qualified Insolvency Practitioner with over 30 years’ experience in insurance and reinsurance businesses, focusing on run-off. He joined Quest Group as Director in 2013 and is principally involved in the management and co-ordination of acquisitions into the group by utilising portfolio transfer mechanisms or outright purchases.
Liam Bedford
Liam Bedford is a legal director in the Leeds office of Kennedys, and a practicing barrister. His case load is primarily asbestos-related claims litigated in the High Court.
Liam has a specialism acting for local authorities on strategic points, such as foreseeability of risk to firemen and in respect of emerging diseases. However, Liam has experience across a wide range of disease types such as asthma, dermatitis, silicosis, HAVS and NIHL.
Liam has won several reported asbestos cases in the High Court on breach of duty such as McGowan v AMEC [2017] and on the application of the Limitation Act 1980 in Fudge v FG Minter [2018].
Liam undertakes all interim Advocacy in the county and high courts and from his pupillage has an active interest in costs litigation. Liam is a “recommended lawyer” in the 2020/21 edition of The Legal 500. In 2021, Liam was named “Young Professional of the Year” at the prestigious Insurance and Reinsurance Association Awards.
