Law firms forge trans-Atlantic pact on insurance challenges
Insurance Law Global (ILG) is a new united network with members including the law firms Weightmans (UK), Blaney McMurtry (Canada), LC Rodrigo Abogados (Spain) and Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin (US). The trans-Atlantic group has 30 locations in six countries. The companies will seek to help clients with the issues and challenges they are facing, such as globalisation and political uncertainty. ILG will also look at how issues such as artificial intelligence, cyber threats and the risk of catastrophic losses from environmental change can affect global insurance claims.

A number of law firms in Europe and North America have joined forces to launch a new legal network specialising in insurance law.

The new network called Insurance Law Global (ILG) is composed of five founding law firms - Weightmans in the UK, Spain’s LC Rodrigo Abogados, Blaney McMurtry based in Canada and Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin from the US. Collectively, the ILG has locations in 30 cities across six countries.

Collaboration

The firms will collaborate on a non-exclusive basis to help clients with whatever challenges they face brought about by globalisation and the ever-changing political and environmental landscape, the group explained. ILG highlighted emerging issues affecting global insurance claims including cyber threats, the impact of climate change on catastrophic loss and the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform the claims process.

Changing market

Weightmans led the formation of the network. Dan Cutts, Senior Partner at the firm said: ‘The legal services market - and the way in which our clients need us to work - is changing. By bringing together law firms with exceptional pedigree and experience in the global insurance market, we are formalising a collaborative approach to respond to the challenge. Our partnerships will ensure we can continue to deliver legal support to our insurer clients in an increasingly globalised environment.’

More complex client needs

Maria Scarfo, Managing Partner of Blaney McMurtry in Toronto, Canada, said: ‘We are very proud to be a founding member of the Insurance Law Global network, an organisation created to meet the increasingly diverse needs of the global insurance industry and to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing across multiple jurisdictions…As the needs of clients become more complex, our network of leading insurance law firms will help to ensure that they continue to receive the consistent, high quality expertise and service they have come to expect, wherever their business takes them.’