Marsh Enhances D&O Claims Process

New York   |   June 19, 2014

To make the directors and officers liability (D&O) claims process more efficient and collaborative, Marsh today announced the launch of a new Marsh D&O Panel, giving clients facing securities litigation access to defense counsel on a pre-approved basis. The Panel, the first broker-led effort in the industry, consists of 32 top securities law firms and four of the industry’s leading D&O underwriters and can be endorsed onto clients’ D&O policies.

“Companies facing securities lawsuits want to engage with legal experts as soon as possible but can face delays in obtaining consent from D&O underwriters for their counsel selection,” said Devin Beresheim, a managing director within Marsh’s FINPRO Practice. “This has the potential to result in uncovered costs being incurred during the initial, critical stages of litigation as underwriters will not reimburse defense costs until consent has been granted.

“With Marsh’s D&O Panel, clients can now have easy access to top legal firms on an optional pre-approved basis, eliminating any debate in defense counsel selection and any delay in the approval of such selection. At the same time, this more collaborative approach between all parties should result in a better claims experience for clients,” Mr. Beresheim added.

As part of this effort, Panel firms have agreed to assist Marsh and the D&O underwriters involved in the initiative in providing policyholder clients with ongoing education and training on a variety of legal, business, risk, and insurance topics.

About Marsh

Marsh is the world’s leading insurance broker and risk advisor. With around 40,000 colleagues operating in more than 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with data-driven risk solutions and advisory services.  Marsh is a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world’s leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. With annual revenue over $17 billion, Marsh McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment through four market-leading businesses:. Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer  and Oliver Wyman.  For more information, visit mmc.com, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter or subscribe to BRINK.