Insurance & Reinsurance

Whether we are advising on insurance policies or reinsurance coverage, defending claims, pursuing recoveries, or dealing with complex regulatory issues, the unmatched depth of expertise and breadth of experience within our Insurance and Reinsurance team ensure our clients enjoy a service of the very highest quality. Quite simply, no law firm in Singapore understands the insurance industry better.

Led by lawyers with almost 30 years’ experience in the industry who are consistently recognised by established publications as leaders in Insurance & Reinsurance law in Singapore, this specialist team provides a full range of legal services, including:

Advising on and drafting insurance and reinsurance policies, treaties, intermediary arrangements and distribution agreements
Defending claims and subrogated recoveries before domestic courts and arbitral tribunals
Corporate Insurance (acquisition or sale of insurance and reinsurance businesses as well as portfolio transfers)
Advising on regulatory and licensing aspects in relation to both the general, life insurance and reinsurance businesses.

Cutting Edge Advice and Cost-Effective Solutions

Our clients rely on our in-depth knowledge of the insurance industry for cutting-edge advice, cost-effective and creative solutions that require an excellent command of the law and regulations.

The team is able to call upon the expertise of other practice areas within our full service law firm and leverage on this advantage to create real value to our clients in our complete legal solution offering when they face an issue that relates to other areas of the law be it employment, tax, insolvency, shipping, asset management, capital markets, international trade, financial services, energy and construction, to name a few.

On the defence and recoveries front, our lawyers’ involvement in almost every high-profile dispute and landmark case provides reassuring proof of our position as leading insurance and reinsurance law specialists.

In-depth Knowledge, Regional Reach

Above all, the strength of this practice is built on our first-hand knowledge of the insurance industry, and the exceptional talent and commitment of a team dedicated to this specialised area of law.

As well as appearing before the Singapore courts, our lawyers are regularly involved in insurance-related arbitrations and litigation before other tribunals in Norway, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Insurance Claims and Recoveries

Time and again, our in-depth understanding of the insurance industry has given our clients the edge in handling insurance claims.

Our lawyers are frequently called upon to advise and are regularly involved in headline claims, complex and difficult policy issues and matters.

The team has earned a well-deserved reputation for its work across property and casualty insurance as well as speciality risks and financial lines.

Therefore whether it is a multi-faceted issue extending beyond coverage issues to allegations by third party claimants in relation to Liability Policies, to analysing causes of economic losses under Business Interruption insurance, complex technical engineering and construction jargon in relation to Contractor’s / Erection All Risks, or the urgency that comes with product recalls under Product Liability insurance to the anxiety faced by insureds in a Professional Indemnity claim, we have encountered these and much more in the course of our team’s experience.

Across the range of work we handle – from advising foreign reinsurers on reinsurance treaties entered into with local cedants, through interpreting difficult policy wordings, to defending or pursuing claims – our lawyers’ immense expertise enables us to provide cutting edge advice and practical commercial solutions. Above all, that marks us out as a leader in the industry.

Corporate and Regulatory

Well-versed in the local legal and regulatory regime where familiarity with the prevailing policies of the regulator is essential, and well connected with industry-wide bodies and well-regarded by regulators, we are strongly placed to deliver a wide spectrum of service in corporate and regulatory insurance matters.

Our experience spans a wide range of issues and transactions, including advising on start-ups and registration of insurance and insurance broking business, drafting insurance business schemes of transfer and novations, advising on regulatory compliance issues, drafting of policy wordings, advising on innovative and new insurance products, as well as advising on novel insurance product distribution models.

Reinsurance

The team has advised and acted for reinsurers in coverage disputes with cedents in arbitrations in the region, including Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia.

We have advised reinsurers and retrocessionaires on contested issues under reinsurance and retrocession programmes due to the 2011 Thai floods as well as the 2010 riots in Bangkok, Thailand in relation to business interruption and property losses. We have also advised on the introduction of new insurance products in the Singapore market via facultative reinsurance and the optimal business model for foreign reinsurers to transact their business with Singapore depending on their business needs and commercial aim so as to achieve a business model that is optimal from both a legal and business perspective.

With the emergence of alternative risk transfer (ART) solutions to meet the reinsurance needs and protection gap, we have the led the market in the first insurance-linked securities (ILS) transaction in Singapore in December 2018 and 23 subsequent ILS issuances as well as Asia’s and Singapore’s first collateralised longevity reinsurance transaction.

Recognition

Band 1 - Insurance

Chambers Asia-Pacific (2024)
Tier 1 - Insurance

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2024)
Highly Recommended - Insurance

Asialaw Profiles (2024)
"A formidable practice, Rajah & Tann Singapore remains a market leader in the insurance and reinsurance arenas. Often at the forefront of high-stakes cases, the practice is adept in handling contentious and non-contentious matters, including advisory work for major insurers and regulators."

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2024)
"The firm has a very strong team of lawyers who are well acquainted with business norms and the legal and regulatory framework."

Chambers Asia-Pacific (2024)
“The team has the ability to quickly understand the issues and provide commercial and practical solutions.”

Chambers Asia-Pacific (2023)
"A team of extremely skilled and competent lawyers who understand our business and the regulatory environment and market we operate in. They are quick to respond and provide commercially viable and practical advice without fudging."

Asialaw Profiles (2024)

“Great bench strength in the insurance advisory and disputes space, with specialist knowledge in insurtech and fintech. It also handles employment and insurance intermediary issues and has notable expertise in the insurance regulatory space.”

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific