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Insurance

About the Group

Matheson Ormsby Prentice's Insurance Group provides legal services to insurance and reinsurance companies, insurance and reinsurance intermediaries and captive managers active in Ireland.

We represent leading domestic Irish insurers and intermediaries, for whom we undertake both contentious and non-contentious work. We have particular experience in advising on the establishment, regulation, consolidation and restructuring of insurance organisations located in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Dublin. 

We were ranked as one of the leading insurance law firms in Ireland by international legal directory, European Legal 500 2009.

Click here to access our Insurance brochure

Our Experience

With our extensive corporate and regulatory insurance experience, we provide a seamless service on all aspects of the largest insurance and reinsurance transactions. We advise on the legal and tax aspects of the establishment of insurance and reinsurance operations in Ireland as a base from which to underwrite insurance and reinsurance throughout the EU, whether captive or non-captive. We provide a full dispute resolution and claims support service to our insurance and reinsurance clients, advising on all forms of dispute resolution, including alternative dispute resolution. We assist and support our clients in the investigation of circumstances which are likely to lead to claims and provide and/or advise on coverage options.

Members of our Group have advised on innovative structured financing transactions, including assignments of reinsurance receivables and life reinsurance financing transactions. We develop insurance products and distribution arrangements, advising on agency and distribution agreements, on policy wordings and on marketing literature. We advise on insurance and reinsurance company reconstruction and insolvency, including on schemes of arrangement and policyholders' protection.

Our Approach

We are one of the few Irish firms to have a dedicated Insurance Group, and we aim to provide a full service to our insurance client base. Our Group is composed of lawyers with an in-depth experience of the workings of the insurance industry and of the practical issues facing insurers and reinsurers. The specialist focus of our Group is designed to ensure that our clients do not spend time educating their lawyers on industry issues. We are pro-active, dynamic and we focus on results.

Representative Transactions

  • advised Everest Reinsurance Group Ltd, one of the world’s largest reinsurance groups, on its establishment of Everest Re (Ireland) Limited further enhancing Ireland’s reputation as a location for international reinsurance activities
  • advising Aviva plc’s Irish subsidiary, Hibernian Insurance on its purchase of Vivas Insurance Limited. Vivas was the third-largest health insurer in the Irish market, and Hibernian’s purchase of Vivas signified its entry to this important marketplace
  • advising Swiss Reinsurance Corporation on the reorganisation of its European reinsurance business through the establishment of Swiss Re Europe S.A. and the consequent restructuring of its Irish businesses. Liam Flynn led the team
  • advising Handelsbanken, one of the largest banking groups in Sweden, on the sale of its Irish life and pensions business as part of the sale of its international pensions business to Storebrand Group of Norway
  • advising Barclays Bank plc on the Irish aspects of the sale of Barclays Life Assurance to Swiss Reinsurance Corporation. Matheson Ormsby Prentice and Freshfields advised Barclays
  • acting for Goshawk/Cavell in the leading Irish case on ‘forum non conveniens’ and ‘lis pendens’
  • acting for Chubb Insurance and W R Berkley in coverage proceedings in the Commercial Court against Michael Lynn and Fiona McAleenan t/a Michael Lynn & Co claiming material non disclosure of fact and misrepresentation
  • acting on behalf of a leading P&I Club and its member in relation to disruption of labour at Irish ports and protecting the member’s interest
  • advising clients on content of hull and machinery and P&I insurance in relation to a new building and obligations under bareboat
  • charter arrangements to include detailed advice on the obligations of a joint assured and a co-assured
  • advising Mount Carmel Hospital in their indemnity arrangements with the State for the provision of obstetric services at the Hospital
  • acting for the Medical Protection Society in defence of complex multi-party High Court Proceedings, alleging medical malpractice regarding chemotherapy treatment of a child patient, resulting in brain damage
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