Monthly Archives: <span>August 2019</span>

Putin Vows Russian Nuclear Accident That Killed 5 Scientists Poses No Further Risk

President Vladimir Putin said there’s no risk from the explosion at a Russian military facility that caused a radiation spike and killed at least five people. “There’s no threat there and no increase in the background” radiation following the blast, …

Citing Wealth Gap, Environment, CEOs Say Social Responsibility Matters

Corporate America is responsible for providing economic benefits to all, not just its investors, the Business Roundtable group said on Monday. The group’s “statement of corporate purpose” was signed by the heads of more than 180 U.S. companies, including the …

Blank Rome Adds Calkins, Rylaarsdam and Edri in California

Blank Rome LLP has added Mary Craig Calkins, a partner, Daniel H. Rylaarsdam, of counsel, and Sarah L. Edri as an associate along with additional professional staff to the firm’s insurance recovery group. Calkins, Rylaarsdam and Edri are based in …

IICF Awards $50K Grant to California Fire Foundation for Victims

The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s Western Division presented a $50,000 grant to the California Fire Foundation’s Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency program on Aug. 16. The grant is to support Californians in need in the immediate aftermath of natural …

Abry Partners Agrees to Acquire Portfolio in California from Capital Z

Abry Partners has agreed to acquire Lake Forest, Calif.-based Portfolio Holding Inc. from Capital Z Partners LP. The deal is subject to normal and customary closing conditions. Terms were not disclosed. All of Portfolio’s current management team will remain in …

Best Agencies to Work For Award Nominations Open. Submit Today!

Do you love your agency? Is your agency a Best Place to Work? Then don’t wait – nominate your agency today as a “Best Agency to Work For” in 2019. You must be a current employee of the agency you …

PG&E Shares Dive on Risk of up to $18B in Wildfire Lawsuit Costs

PG&E Corp. shares plunged Monday after a judge ruled that a jury can determine whether it should pay as much as $18 billion in damages to wildfire victims. The California utility giant fell as much 28%, to $10.22, at 9:35 …

Underwriters Get Picky and Other Trends in Construction Insurance

Construction insurance specialists say their insurance market is strong with plenty of capacity and underwriters competing for the best accounts. According to specialists interviewed by Insurance Journal for their assessment of the market, the boom in the construction business has …

AI-Underwritten Insurance Premiums to Go From $1.3B to $20B Globally by 2024: Juniper

The value of global insurance premiums underwritten by artificial intelligence will exceed $20 billion by 2024, up from an estimated $1.3 billion in 2019, according to new data from Juniper Research. This growth will be driven by streamlined underwriting processes, …

Arch Insurance to Buy Coastal Commercial Property MGU Ventus Risk Management

Arch Insurance North America has agreed to acquire Ventus Risk Management, a technology and analytics-driven managing general underwriter that specializes in providing coastal commercial property insurance solutions to small and mid-sized enterprises. Ventis, founded in 2016, has 30 employees and …