DAC Beachcroft has been appointed to Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich)’s new claims legal panel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, further strengthening its global relationship with this key Insurance client.
The new appointment sees DAC Beachcroft’s Global Insurance team take responsibility for managing Zurich’s large and complex commercial claims, in seven European countries as well as the Middle East region.
DAC Beachcroft’s teams in France and Spain, led by Vladimir d’Ancezune in Paris and Jose Maria Álvarez-Cienfuegos in Madrid, will handle Zurich’s claims in those countries, while instructions in other European and Middle East jurisdictions will be managed by a wider network of locally-based law firms under the direction of DACB’s global insurance partner Patrick Hill and international development director, Gustavo Blanco.
Commenting on the new appointment, James Morris, Chairman of Claims Solutions Group and Client Relationship Partner for Zurich, explained: “This is very significant for our Global Insurance practice and supports our commitment to work with Zurich and their key customers across all jurisdictions. We have worked closely with Zurich over many years supporting their customer proposition. The new Panel will enable these complex and often commercially sensitive claims to be managed across multiple jurisdictions in a strategic way. This has always been a core focus for DAC Beachcroft and Zurich”.
Zurich Group Chief Claims Officer Ian Thompson said: “I am very pleased to be able to extend our long-standing relationship with DAC Beachcroft through this new panel. Zurich and our customers will benefit from a more consolidated level of legal insight, allowing us to improve our trend analysis and the proactivity of our decision-making. Importantly, the panel supports the evolution of our claims commitment in providing our international customers with a more consistent experience, particularly where coverage span multiple jurisdictions.”
Helen Faulkner, Head of Insurance, said, “Zurich is one of our closest and largest clients, and this latest appointment is testament to the work that a very large team within the Insurance practice has done over a number of years to build that relationship. The expansion of our European capabilities in France and Madrid has given us a real advantage in these jurisdictions.”
