Contributors
Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has advised Arch Insurance Europe (“Arch”) on its £31m purchase of the UK Commercial Lines business owned by The Ardonagh Group and part of its Geo Underwriting (“Geo”) operating segment.
The WBD team was led by Corporate Partner Tom Fitzpatrick, with assistance from: Corporate Associate Alex Fergus; Insurance Partner Jonathan Drake; Tax Managing Associate Ronan Lowney; and Real Estate Managing Associate Paul Bramall.
The acquisition forms part of Arch's strategy to grow its regional UK presence and to deliver underwriting expertise and a strong customer value proposition through an expanded retail distribution network.
The acquisition will give Arch an extended office network across the UK that will complement its existing London Market business that focusses on wholesale distribution and delegated authority business.
Tom Fitzpatrick of WBD commented:
"We are delighted to have worked with Arch on this important strategic acquisition. Our involvement on the deal follows on from some additional support we gave to Arch earlier this year. We look forward to helping them implement this transaction successfully."
Elizabeth Collins, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Worldwide Services, of Arch added:
"WBD worked well with our team and provided first-rate commercially minded legal advice. We look forward to working with Tom and the rest of the team to complete the deal and make it a success."
Ranking in the UK's top 20 law firms, WBD provides legal expertise from across eight offices in the UK and 18 offices in the US. The firm has a large insurance practice in the UK advising national and international clients on a broad range of corporate, commercial and claims related matters.
