Date / time
15/09/2020
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

BILA will be commencing its Autumn virtual lecture series on 15 September at 1 pm with a talk by Andrew Burns QC of Devereux Chambers. Andrew will be looking at current issues in employment liability insurance, a topic of particular relevance in the light of recent debates about the return to work following the COVID lockdown.  What are the EL implications for UK businesses of widespread home-working?  Will EL policies cover claims against employers by workers injured or killed by COVID and what are the causation hurdles?  Also Andrew will give an update on recent EL case law in insurance and reinsurance arising from asbestos claims, look at issues involving employers under the Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Acts and touch upon whether directors can be sued by workers for failing to insure them.

Andrew Burns QC is a leading silk in insurance and reinsurance disputes appearing in the Supreme Court in Durham v BAI (Run Off) Ltd (the Employers’ Liability Policy Trigger Litigation), in asbestos insurance cases such as Redman v Zurich and acted in litigation relating to 9/11 reinsurance disputes (Simmonds v Gammell and Allianz v Tonicstar).

Andrew acts for a range of insurers in coverage disputes and policy interpretation points.  His insurance practice is strong and he acts for well-known city insurance firms. He is an editor of The Law of Reinsurance with Colin Edelman QC.  Andrew represented successful insureds and their families in the Supreme Court in Employers’ Liability Policy Trigger Litigation [2012] 1 WLR 867, [2012] ICR 574, [2012] Lloyd’s Rep. IR 371 about the coverage of Employers’ Liability insurance policies in respect of damages for mesothelioma victims.  He appeared in Redman v Zurich Insurance Plc [2018] 1 WLR 280 concerning long-tail claims under the Third Party (Rights against Insurers) Act 2010.