IN-PERSON EVENT – REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS NOW CLOSED
James Davey, who has just finished his successful term as BILA’s President, is well known to BILA members and audiences for his informative, thought-provoking and entertaining lectures. He will be delivering this year’s BILA Annual Update, a study and assessment of key developments in insurance law during the past twelve months.
Speaker
Professor James Davey, University of Bristol Law School
(President of BILA – November 2023 to November 2025)
In-person event
Date: 5 November
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Lloyd’s Old Library
We are pleased to invite you to an in-person lecture at Lloyd’s Old Library on Wednesday, 5 November at 1:00 PM. Jeremiah Welch and Will Bennett of Saxe Doernberger & Vita P.C. will explore the recent Archer Western v. ACE American Insurance Co. decision and its implications for LEG3 coverage interpretation under U.S. law. They will analyse how the court’s reasoning, influenced by SCB, redefines “physical damage,” clarifies ambiguity surrounding “improvement” in LEG3 provisions, and contrasts U.S. and U.K. treatment of manufacturing and contamination claims. The session will offer essential takeaways for insurers, brokers, and construction professionals engaging with cross-jurisdictional coverage disputes.
Speakers:
Jeremiah Welch
Managing Partner, SDV West Coast
Jeremiah represents many of the ENR Top 20 construction contractors, advising on and litigating insurance claims arising from heavy civil, industrial, and commercial construction projects. His work involves complex coverage issues across builder’s risk, liability, pollution, and default insurance. Jeremiah has played key roles in major construction disaster litigations, including the Florida University bridge collapse, the Louisiana Hard Rock Hotel collapse, and the San Francisco Millennium Tower case. He is also a trusted advisor to leading insurance brokerages and a frequent national speaker.
Will Bennett
Partner, SDV
Will maintains a nationwide litigation practice focusing on complex insurance recovery actions. Admitted in California, Connecticut, and New York, he frequently leads cases from initial strategy through trial and appeal. His experience spans construction catastrophe, defect, real estate, and pollution liability disputes. Will is widely recognised by national insurance brokerages for his expertise and regularly presents at industry conferences.
We hope you will join us for what promises to be a highly informative and thought-provoking session.
BOOKING FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED
NOTICE TO MEMBERS OF THE 2025 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE
BRITISH INSURANCE LAW ASSOCIATION
To be held on : Tuesday 4th November 2025 at 1 pm
The meeting will be held on Zoom
For the business to be transacted at the meeting, please see the Agenda
REGISTER YOUR PLACE AT THE AGM HERE
Members only may attend
NOTE: Copies of the Agenda, the 2024 AGM Minutes and the Annual Report for the year ended 28 February 2025 have been placed within the members’ area of the BILA website. Please contact the Secretariat should you require a hard copy of any of these documents – Email office@bila.org.uk.
Virtual
Please join Stephen Midwinter KC (Brick Court Chambers), Alexander Oddy and Fiona Treanor (Partners at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP) who acted for AerCap in its recent c. USD 1 billion win against War Risk Insurers in the Russian Aircraft Lessor Policy Claims [2025] EWHC 1430 (Comm).
This talk will cover the background to this market-wide loss before explaining the key findings in Mr Justice Butcher’s judgment and its relevance to the wider insurance market. Key topics include:
- The construction of contingent policies and war risk perils
- The test for loss in the context of deprivation of possession
- The application of the grip of the peril doctrine and how to analyse concurrent causes of loss
Booking for this event has now closed
In-Person Event
Location: Lloyd’s Old Library, One Lime Street, London, EC3M 7HA
Demystifying parts of the Bermuda Form Policy
We won’t be surprised if you find us boring. We will be surprised if some of you don’t. Is your boredom intended or expected?
Please join Gavin Kealey KC (Head of Chambers at 7 King’s Bench Walk) and Mina Matin (Co-Head of Insurance Disputes, US at Norton Rose Fulbright) for a discussion of the following issues:
- The genesis of the Bermuda Form Policy
- Key policy provisions including unraveling the expected / intended provision
- Choice of law Issues including the impetus to silence New York as the governing law of the policy
Location: In-person seminar at Lloyd’s Old Library, One Lime Street, London, EC3M 7HA
- Underwriting and Contract Formation: interpretation, term and wordings.
- Claims management and adjustment: new deadlines and legal/reserve consequences.
- Reinsurance: formation, coverage, choice of law and jurisdiction.
- Statute of limitation: new periods and impacts for long tail/short tail claims.
Overview:
James and Gretel will be scanning the horizon exploring the impact of the increase in securities claims and the integration of AI into business operations in the context of D&O insurance.
James Sharpe:
James has particular expertise in insurance matters. He regularly acts for and advises insureds and insurers in respect of insurance policies. James advises upon and litigates all insurance related disputes, including D&O, PI, PL & EL, product liability, and Warranty and Indemnity policy disputes;
BILA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
IN-PERSON EVENT
BOOKING FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED
Join us for an insightful seminar on Warranties and Indemnities (W&I) Insurance at Lloyd’s of London in the PR1!
Event Title: Introduction to Warranty & Indemnity Insurance
The Loss, the Breach, and the Warranty
Date: 10th July 2025
Time: 5:30 pm (please arrive by 5:30 pm for a prompt start at 5:45 pm)
Location: Lloyd’s of London in PR1
Drinks: Complimentary drinks after the seminar at Bunch of Grapes, Lime Street, London
About the Seminar:
Join experts from C. Lewis & Company, CMS Cameron McKenna, and Convex Insurance as they delve into the complexities of loss under W&I policies. They’ll explore the legal and valuation issues surrounding loss calculation, the role of W&I insurance in M&A transactions, and provide a clearer understanding of how to manage and address breach claims.
Speakers:
Tom Havers (C. Lewis)
Geoff Tan (CMS Cameron McKenna)
Dan Myers (CMS Cameron McKenna)
Kristýna Mühlfeitová (CMS Cameron McKenna)
Arpen Pansari (Convex Insurance)
This seminar is a must-attend for anyone involved in M&A transactions or W&I insurance, offering valuable insights into the practical application of this area of law.
We look forward to seeing you there!
When visiting Lloyd’s, please remember that all external visitors are required to show an original copy of their photo ID (Driving Licence, Passport, Work ID with company logo and full name) when collecting their visitor pass or name badge.
Kindly sponsored by C. Lewis
BOOKING FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED
If you require any assistance, please email office@bila.org.uk
We are delighted to have Edije Sodipo giving an online lecture on “The Emergence of a Sector-Led P&I Insurance Model to Build Local Capacity in Africa’s Largest Oil Economy”. This will take place on 1st July 2025 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM and will delve into the growing role of local P&I insurance models within Nigeria’s rapidly evolving maritime sector.
Rather than a government-mandated initiative, the drive to localise aspects of P&I insurance is coming from within the industry — from operators, insurers, and legal experts who recognise the operational risks they face and the benefits of having some control over how those risks are managed. This is about aligning economic stake with insurance responsibility, ensuring that those closest to the exposure also have a say and a share in how that exposure is insured. The approach reflects a pragmatic turn, one grounded in law, in market conditions, and in the real economics of marine risk.
The presentation will trace Nigeria’s journey from inherited legal systems to local authorship and show how the evolution of the oil and gas sector, the rise of indigenous operators, and the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy have set the stage for what comes next: a sector-led P&I club that reclaims risk, retains capital, and redefines control. The presentation will include:
– overview of the present legal and regulatory landscape in which insurance operates in Nigeria;
– the inheritance of English law and a move towards domestication to foster local opportunity and growth;
– how government policy has helped to reshape the current legal and regulatory landscape as a tool to economic sustainability and wealth creation in the maritime industry;
– opportunities for collaboration.
About the speaker:
Ejide Sodipo is a highly respected authority in commercial and maritime law in Nigeria and is a well-known authority on Protection and Indemnity mutuals. She initiated Nigeria’s Federal Technical Committee for the establishment of a local P&I Mutual.
Ejide has over 30 years of experience in maritime law and her expertise spans cargo claims, charter parties, international trade, bunker disputes and personal injury. She is the CEO of Pye-M Systems, a consultancy firm specializing in mutual advisory and legal compliance in Nigeria’s maritime and energy sectors.