Into the Breach Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Bryan and Gena are joined by Randy Hein, President of Berkley Transactional, for a discussion on the underlying economics of RWI policies and the implications of these economic factors for your next transaction.
Topics discussed include:
• Randy’s professional insurance background and how it led him to success at Berkley Transactional
• Why economic factors such as human capital and financial capital are crucial to understanding RWI policies
• The breakdown of “$1 dollar of premium” and how this relates to claims payouts
• Why projecting the costs of RWI claims is uniquely difficult for insurers
• How retentions factor into the economics of RWI
• Piggy-backing off a recent trip that Bryan and Gena took to Nashville, Randy shares his playlist favorites

Bryan and Gena are joined by Lidore DeRose, Senior Partner and Leader of Transactional Risk, Baldwin Risk Partners and Emily Short, National Director of Cyber Product, Baldwin Risk Partners, for a discussion of underlying cyber insurance coverage and how cyber insurance intersects with transactional risk insurance on deals.

Topics discussed include:
• How Lidore and Emily got into the insurance industry
• The intricacies of cyber insurance, including the current state of the cyber market, coverage terms, compliance, and strategies to combat cyber threats
• How cyber insurance intersects with RWI on complex corporate transactions
• Anticipate changes and market fluctuations in cyber insurance in the future
• Lidore, Emily, Bryan, and Gena share their favorite childhood computer games

Kicking off the new year with their first guest of 2024, Bryan and Gena welcome Megan Quail, Managing Director and Head of Reps and Warranties Insurance – North America, VALE Insurance Partners for a discussion of where RWI stands in the first few months of 2024 and what we can expect in the year to come.

Topics discussed include:
• How Megan transitioned from an initial career path in litigation to working in RWI
• Megan’s role in forming WoTR, Women of Transactional Risk, the highly successful industry group supporting women with careers in transactional risk
• The current state of the RWI market including pricing, retention, and policy term updates
• The impact of new carriers in the RWI space
• Where Megan sees RWI headed for the remainder of 2024
• Megan’s favorite Barenaked Ladies song

Returning from a summer hiatus, Bryan and Gena are joined by veteran broker Sandra Lee, Chief Executive Officer – Asia, BMS Group, for a discussion on the state of transactional risk insurance in Asia.

Topics discussed include:
• How Sandra transitioned from working as a M&A attorney to being one of the first transactional risk brokers in Asia
• How BMS created a premier global platform for transactional risk with unique capabilities in Asia
• The key similarities and differences between transactional risk policies in Asia and North America
• Current pricing trends and deal activity in Asia
• The growth in carriers underwriting in Asia
• Geographic differentiation in underwriting transactions in Asia

Archer Transactional, a Balanced Partners Program, recently launched in the RWI space, with long-time transactional risk leader Ben Welch at the helm. In this episode, Bryan and Gena are joined by Ben for a discussion of Archer’s birth and how this new carrier will seek to become the best RWI platform in the United States by marrying underwriting efficiency with strong claims handling experience.
Topics discussed include:
• How Ben’s background in litigation and claims, and underwriting at other RWI carriers prepared him for his current role
• How Archer obtained capacity and still launched despite the challenging M&A environment
• Background on the team that Ben has assembled at Archer
• The continuing strong demand contingent risk insurance
• The importance of claims and Archer’s approach to claims handling
• How AI can factor into transactional risk insurance in the future
• Ben’s favorite moment as a newspaper journalist in his career before RWI

Combining a global underwriting platform with deep experience in the North America RWI space, RiskPoint has quickly established itself as a premier transactional risk carrier since launching in 2021. In this episode, Bryan and Gena are joined by Michael McGowan, Managing Director and Head of M&A Americas, for a discussion of where RiskPoint sees itself in the current market and plans for the future.

Topics discussed include:
• How the RiskPoint platform allowed Mike to marry his prior transactional risk experience with a new entrepreneurial vision
• Why Riskpoint’s global presence helps set it apart from other markets on cross-border transactions
• How RiskPoint’s comprehensive pre-underwriting process provides a better overall experience for the insured
• RiskPoint’s long term commitment to RWI in North America
• Mike’s global pick for where Into the Breach should do a remote taping