Insurance Law Firm of the Year UK

Firm Profile

EC3\Legal offers a full range of non-contentious advice to brokers, managing agents and other insurance service providers.

EC3\Legal has set about bringing a fresh attitude and commercial approach to legal provision for the intermediated insurance sector. EC3\Legal focuses on the use of technology to create operating and service efficiencies that can be passed on to clients. We believe no client should pay for a firm’s inefficiencies. Tied in with our approach to service and efficiency, we have focused on a transparent and honest billing and work process providing clients with direct online access to our time ledgers and records at any point.

Our structure means we do not ‘penalise’ clients by excessive charging for late night or weekend work. We have established a dedicated resource aimed at researching our clients’ businesses. This isn’t simple KYC for the sake of legislative appeasement but a commitment to ensuring we provide advice and support that responds to the specific structure and needs of each individual client.

Since launching in July 2012, we have been instructed

on over £145m worth of transactions and have over 50 insurance broking and managing agency clients- including some very well-known names; a track record that has surpassed every other City firm in the sector. Over recent years, the number of independent MGA’s has developed considerably. David Coupe has been involved in many of the set-ups of these, advising on their authorisation and agreements with insurers.

We have been able to treble the number of clients that we hoped for in our first year and surpassed turnover expectations by over 100% and yet at half the hourly rate of our competitors.

Our investment in building a reputation for responsive, no-nonsense legal services has also paid off. We are recognised as the firm of choice by many insurance intermediaries and by banks, venture capital houses, corporate finance advisers and accountants acting in the sector. Building on our success is already well underway. We have grown from one person to eight and recently launched a real estate practice. With more practices to be launched soon.

Sian Fisher, Managing Director of OIM Underwriting, said: “EC3\Legal are not only lawyers – they are

About David Coupe - Partner and Founder

David has been practicing corporate commercial law for over 25 years, principally around the London and Lloyd’s insurance market, and in China even longer. His primary “market” is with insurance brokers, underwriting agents, MGA’s and other service providers, and those looking to invest

into them such as

venture capital funds, business angels and insurers.

David qualified in 1986. He has been a partner at two of the best known London insurance and commercial legal practices, firstly Ince & Co. and most recently Clyde & Co. for a total of 20 years.

Notable Legal Work

Within the last year, EC3\Legal has acted in relation to: • the sale of Contego Underwriting Agencies to Arthur J Gallagher

• the purchase by Integro of Allan Chapman & James • the sale of Prime Professions Limited to Willis

EC3\Legal is currently instructed upon:- - - - - -

the sale and purchase of two insurance companies the purchase of an insurance broker

the reorganisation of an underwriting agency the sale of an underwriting agency the sale of a captive manager

- - - - -

the sale of a Lloyds broker

the purchase of seven Lloyds corporate namecos the change of management of a Lloyds syndicate the purchase of renewal rights for an MGA

the transfer of an underwriting team – writing speciality insurance

He acts for some 50 brokers and MGA’s in the UK across a broad spectrum of corporate, commercial, employment and regulatory issues. David is on the Regulatory and Compliance Committee of the MGAA and has regular contact with the UK Financial Conduct Authority in such capacity.

He is also on various consultative bodies in the industry including at Lloyd’s, and speaks and writes frequently on various issues about the UK intermediated industry.

David has extensive contacts within the corporate finance and banking sector in London specialising in the UK insurance market, and lectures to the major banks on insurance aspects as they affect banking practice.

business advisers. They don’t just think about plain legalities. They think about us, our business objectives, and try to make our 2 +2 make more than 4. Their ability to think laterally, and use their market knowledge to our advantage is unparalleled in our experience.”

Areas of Expertise

EC3\Legal offers a full range of non- contentious advice to SME entities in the UK. • Set-Ups • Mergers and Acquisitions • Property Issues • Moving of Employee Teams • Employment Contracts • Commercial • Lloyd’s of London • Regulatory • Finance and Banking • IT • Tax

Contact

David Coupe Partner Email: david.coupe@ec3legal.com Tel: +44 (0)207 347 5014 Mob: +44 (0)7831 500371

EC3\Legal 150 Minories London EC3N 1LS

Tel: +44 (0) 207 347 5013 Fax: +44 (0) 207 347 5020 Twitter: https://twitter.com/EC3Legal Website: http://ec3legal.com/

EC3\Legal

Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards 2013

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