Directors and officers (D&O) liability specialists are set to converge on Marriott's Castle Harbour Hotel later this week for the 26th Watson Wyatt Symposium.

This will be the first time this D&O insurance symposium, sponsored by Chicago-based Watson Wyatt Worldwide, will be held outside the US.

About 100 delegates are expected to attend the two day conference which also includes 13 guest speakers, five of whom represent Bermuda companies.

Following Thursday's opening, Park International Ltd. president and CEO Mr.

Paul Scope, who is also an executive member of the Insurance Brokers Association of Bermuda (IBAB), and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. vice president Mr. Phil Blais will cover various areas of the D&O marketplace.

Broking company Park International is a wholly-owned subsidiary Mutual Risk Management Ltd.

Other first day speakers will cover D&O claim trends, arbitration and coverage disputes, fiduciary liability exposures as well as employment practices liability and entity coverage/allocation.

Lawyer Mr. Dan Bailey, a partner with Columbus-based Arter & Hadden, will open day two with a discussion on the responsibilities of corporate directors and officers.

A panel, which includes four executives from Bermuda companies, will address D&O alternatives, international D&O, D&O coverage only and underwriting D&O.

That group includes: Chubb Atlantic Indemnity Ltd. vice president and underwriting manager, professional liability, Mr. Kevin Rehnberg who will discuss creative alternatives to the standard D&O contract and what happens during a claim.

Starr Excess Liability Insurance Company Ltd. vice president Mr. David Allen, responsible for excess D&O insurance and special situations, who will discuss D&O coverage outside the US and the concerns of multi-national corporations.

ACE Ltd. senior vice president, underwriting, Mr. Mark Herman who will speak about when one-sided or lopsided D&O programmes may be inappropriate.

X.L. Insurance Company Ltd. senior vice president Mr. Jim Ansaldi who will discuss what directors should look at before joining a board as well as primary versus excess layer considerations in underwriting D&O.

On Friday afternoon, Watson Wyatt Worldwide consultant Ms Lisa Bastian will discuss D&O policy coverage issues.

Ms Bastian, who is to discuss key components of the D&O form and give detailed comments on each component, will be the conference's final speaker.

Organisers have also slated pre-seminar activities for tomorrow.