Clyde & Co expands insurance practice in Europe as demand rises amid COVID-19 and Brexit

Clyde & Co is expanding its insurance practice in continental Europe as the firm sees increased demand from its domestic and international clients due to the uncertainties and disruption created by Brexit and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The insurance-focused global law firm has opened a new office in Munich, Germany, in addition to its existing presence in Düsseldorf and Hamburg, as well as Paris, Madrid and Nantes.

The company has also hired three experienced insurance lawyers and their team, who specialise in warranty & indemnity (W&I) insurance and claims expertise as well as disputes resolution. The hires complement its existing insurance claims and regulatory teams in Düsseldorf and Hamburg.

Eva-Maria Barbosa, Andreas Börner, and Sven Förster, who provide comprehensive and joined up corporate, transactional, claims and disputes services to the insurance sector, will join the new Munich office as partners. All three come from Norton Rose Fulbright, where they have worked together since 2006.

Barbosa is a corporate insurance lawyer with broad experience of insurance regulatory and corporate insurance matters who has led on many insurance related M&A and restructuring projects.

Börner advises clients on corporate, capital market, compliance and regulatory issues, and focuses on a broad range of transactions including cross-border M&A, reorganisations, regulatory capital, portfolio transfers, discontinued business and insurance linked securities.

Förster is a litigation and dispute resolution lawyer with a focus on complex domestic and multi-jurisdictional re/insurance claims and disputes.

James Cooper, chair of Clyde & Co's global insurance practice group, said: "Our insurance clients are increasingly looking for law firms to support their organisations in a consistent manner around the world. This need has been brought into even sharper focus thanks to the global nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and in Europe thanks to the uncertainties and disruption created by Brexit. Our Munich office will significantly bolster our offering to clients and give us a presence in a city which is home to many of Europe's biggest insurers."

Henning Schaloske, member of Clyde & Co's European board and head of its German insurance practice, added: "Opening in Munich enhances our offering to clients across Germany. The hire of such high quality, well renowned group of lawyers, who bring with them such diverse insurance law expertise, underlines Clyde & Co's commitment to building a market-leading insurance practice across the country."

Barbosa commented: "Clyde & Co is the foremost insurance law brand in the world, and as a team we feel that it's the natural home to house and further develop our practices, and provide our clients with the high quality, joined up, and global services they require. We are a team who have worked very closely together for almost 15 years and we are really looking forward to joining and forming a cohesive team with our new colleagues in Dusseldorf and Hamburg and around the world to allow us to be even more efficient and effective in servicing our clients."