Bermuda-based Allied World Assurance Holdings, Ltd yesterday announced the opening of the first underwriting branch of its Irish insurance subsidiary in London.

This new unit is a branch of Allied World Assurance Company (Europe) Limited (AWAC-E). AWAC-E began operations in Dublin, Ireland, in 2002. AWAC-E and its London branch have both been rated A+ (Superior) by A. M. Best.

Michael Baldwin has been appointed the managing director for the London Branch of AWAC-E and is responsible for developing AWAC-E's property and casualty business from UK wholesale and retail producers.

The company said Mr. Baldwin brought with him more than 30 years of underwriting experience and prior to joining Allied World was the senior vice president in charge of Chubb's Commercial Insurance division in Europe. Mr. Baldwin said: “Our focus is to support the London market by combining capacity and security with the skills of an experienced and talented underwriting team. We look to provide coverage for the larger Corporate Insureds that need solid underwriting and sound security that will give us a fair reward for risk assumed.”

Michael Morrison, president & chief executive officer of AWAC, said: “The opening of AWAC-E's London underwriting branch puts Allied World in a position to offer to the European market much needed capacity in a variety of lines of business.

The London branch will complement the existing Dublin operations, whilst providing even greater accessibility to brokers in continental Europe. Michael Baldwin's solid underwriting experience and market contacts will be a definite asset in Allied World's ongoing business development.”

Mr. Baldwin is supported by ten experienced underwriting staff. AWAC-E's offices are located at 22 Billiter Street, in the heart of the London insurance marketplace.

Mr. Baldwin began his career at Royal Insurance in the U.K. in 1962, transferring to their international operations in Venezuela in 1966, and joined Chubb in 1972.

He held various underwriting and managerial positions in Latin America before relocating in 1984 to Chubb US as Home Foreign Manager and Underwriting Officer for Asia/Pacific. In 1988, he moved to Italy to manage Chubb's operations.

From 1991 to 1997, he was the zone underwriting officer for Latin America being elected vice president of Chubb in 1996. In 1997, he brought his broad experience in Property and Casualty to Chubb's European Commercial Insurance Division in London and was elected a senior vice president of Chubb Insurance Company of Europe in 1998.