London News

Marsh Stresses Importance of ‘High Quality Risk Information’ Presentations

According to new research commissioned by Bowring Marsh, the Specialist International Placement Broker at Marsh, the “quality of the presentation of risk information is crucial to insureds obtaining the most competitive terms from insurers.” The study, conducted by an independent …

ECB’s Plan to Buy Bonds Risks Making it Europe’s ‘Bad Bank’

The European Central Bank’s decision to buy tarnished debt in the euro zone risks turning it into Europe’s de facto “bad bank” and putting cash-strapped governments and taxpayers on the hook for yet more money. The ECB was forced to …

Obama to Name Gulf Oil Spill Panel; BP Safety Record Faulted

President Barack Obama will create a presidential commission to probe the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and energy giant BP said Monday it had “turned the corner” in its efforts to contain it. London-based BP Plc said its …

Transocean Punished for Legal Tactics in Old Spill

A U.S. judge has taken the unusual step of sanctioning a unit of Transocean Ltd, owner of the rig in the Gulf of Mexico spill, for “vexatious” tactics in fighting liability from a decades-old oil well spill in Louisiana. Attorneys …

It Figures

$350 Million As of May 10, London-based energy giant British Petroluem Plc (BP) said the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had cost it $350 million, suggesting the final bill could be much higher than many analysts predicted, and …

Sources Indicate U.N. to Pick Costa Rica’s Figueres as New Climate Chief

Veteran Costa Rican climate diplomat Christiana Figueres is set to be appointed as the new United Nations climate chief, sources familiar with the matter said on Monday. The sources said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had chosen Figueres over former South …

People

Irvine, Calif.-based Superior Access Insurance Services Inc. named Tom Crawford chairman of the board of directors. Before joining Superior Access, Crawford served as chairman, president and CEO of Crawford & Co. With more than 45 years of insurance industry experience, …

Volcanic Ash Grounds European Flights

Volcanic ash from Iceland caused widespread disruption at airports in Britain and other parts of northern Europe on Monday, grounding 1,000 flights and delaying hundreds of thousands of passengers, aviation officials said. Eurocontrol, the European air traffic agency, said Britain …

Best Affirms Lloyd’s Syndicate 1225 (AEGIS) ‘A’ Rating; Stable Outlook

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the Best’s Syndicate Rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a+” of Lloyd’s Syndicate 1225, which is managed by AEGIS Managing Agency Limited , both with stable outlooks. Best pointed out that the …

Shrimpers, Boat Captains Line Up For BP Spill Claims

Ronald Polkey, a sun-weathered shrimp boat captain from the Louisiana resort and fishing hub of Grand Isle, La., should be out on the water working his nets to bring in a day’s catch. But with most of the region’s shrimping …