Jurisdiction: Bermuda

A New Type of ILS Investment – Cyber Insurance CAT Bonds

Specialty insurer Beazley sponsored the first Cyber Insurance Catastrophe (CAT) bond recently, a new type of ILS or insurance linked security issued by a Bermuda entity. They announced the $45 million private placement on January 9, 2023. The bonds provide investors with a generous floating rate of interest and a return of principal in one year, provided that no single catastrophic event occurs across Beazley’s portfolio of cyber insurance policies that results in more than $300 million of losses. Any losses above $300 million incurred by Beazley on those policies as a result of that one event would be absorbed by the investors, up to the $45 million principal amount. The deal was marketed under an NDA, so not all of the details are available, but the bonds will not protect against losses from a state-sponsored cyberattack, which is typically excluded from cyber insurance policies as an act of war.

Read More

What Every InsurTech Should Know About Privacy and Cybersecurity

As an early stage or startup InsurTech, you’re highly focused on all the right things: identifying a ‎challenge for the insurance industry, developing an innovative technical solution, making it ‎practical and scalable, getting it funded, and implementing it. The industry for which InsurTech ‎seeks to develop and deliver solutions is awash, however, in requirements and restrictions related ‎to the collection, use, sharing, and protection of data.‎

Read More

LL Surplus Lines Series (Entry 5): 2019 WSIA Spring Surplus Lines Law Group Meeting Recap and Summary of Trends

The Surplus Lines Law Group held its spring meeting on Friday, April 5 in Biloxi, Mississippi. A number of presentations were given at the meeting, including updates on the trends around the nation with respect to the diligence search requirement, international tax and cybersecurity issues, as well as a presentation by this author as to the challenges surrounding placing group insurance coverage on a surplus lines basis (including unique hurdles applicable to risk purchasing groups).

Read More

What Every InsurTech Should Know About Accountants

You have now raised capital initially using a Convertible Promissory Note and soon, your Series A Preferred Stock; you now have a Board of Directors with three members – and there may be five including one or more Independent Directors; you are further expanding your management team – and have established an Option Plan under which you can issue both ISOs and NQSO.

Read More

LL Surplus Lines Series (Entry 3): Revisions to Montana’s Surplus Lines Laws

Montana amended its insurance code to revise certain definitions and update certain provisions relating to surplus lines insurance effective March 7, 2019; the amendments can be found here.  Section 33-2-301(3)(t)(i) of the Montana insurance code amended its definition of “surplus lines insurance” to include inland marine insurance.

Read More

LL Surplus Lines Series (Entry 2): New York to Consider Elimination of Diligent Search Requirement for Certain Commercial Policies

One of the hallmarks of surplus lines regulation throughout the United States is the “diligent search” requirement whereby the surplus lines broker (or retail producer) must attempt to place insurance coverage in the admitted market before exporting such coverage to an eligible, unauthorized surplus lines insurer.

Read More

Swan Appointed Managing Director, Supervision by BMA

The Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) announced that it has appointed Craig Swan, formerly the BMA’s Director, Insurance Supervision, to the newly created post Managing Director, Supervision. Mr. Swan will lead all of the BMA’s regulatory functions. The Director, Banking, Trust, Corporate Services and Investment and Director, Insurance Supervision will each report to Mr. Swan.

Read More

Validus Launches a Challenge to the IRS’ Cascading Federal Excise Tax Ruling

On 25 January 2013, Validus Reinsurance Ltd (Validus), a reinsurer domiciled in Bermuda, filed a suit in the District Court of the District of Columbia against the United States of America for the repayment of taxes which they allege were wrongly demanded by the IRS. The tax was assessed under the Federal Excise Tax (FET) regime, which (among other things) imposes a 1% tax on premiums under contracts of reinsurance with foreign reinsurers covering risks in the US (s4371 of the Internal Revenue Code). 

Read More

InsurTech

Topics

Archives

Email the Editor

Click here to Email the Editor

Locke Lord LLP

For the latest information about our Firm visit lockelord.com