Clyde & Co LLP's insolvency and restructuring Insurance practice is valued for its 'exceptional' expertise in Lloyd's market restructuring cases and Part VII portfolio transfers, which often have a cross-border element. The 'invaluable' Ravi Masaon, who is 'a real powerhouse on Part VII transfers' leads a 'very responsive, friendly and helpful' team. William Hogarth recently led the firm's team advising new client Phoenix on its £9bn insurance business transfer. Another busy area of work for the team has been restructurings related to Brexit.

Praised for its 'excellent technical skills', the insurance insolvency and restructuring team at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP 'compares favourably to magic circle firms working on the same deals'. Geoffrey Maddock has led the firm's team on more than twenty transfers of insurance business. Other key partners include Barnaby Hinnigan, who has extensive experience in the sector, and worked on a number of of Brexit-related projects during 2018.

Hogan Lovells International LLP's impressive track record in insolvency matters speaks for the firm's significant capabilities in this space. Practice head Joe Bannister has a wealth of experience to draw upon, having worked on a raft of market-leading matters including the Lehman Brothers administration, the Orion scheme of arrangement and, in the past year, the Scottish Re group restructuring, working in tandem with his counterparts in the US. The London team is able to leverage the wider firm's significant global presence to attract an international client base, which includes some of the biggest insurers in the market.

The team at Mayer Brown International LLP benefits from 'diverse connections to other practice groups' around the US firm's global network, enabling it to handle complex cross-border mandates. Areas of particular expertise include long tail liability issues, insurtech and insurance-linked securities. Practice head Devi Shah and Colin Scagell are praised for their 'pragmatic' approach, while counsel Alexandra Wood is also recommended. In 2018 Shah and Wood were both part of the firm's team advising on insolvency of Lloyd's corporate member ACAL Underwriting Limited, securing an important High Court decision which brought the matter to a conclusion.

The insurance restructuring practice at Norton Rose Fulbright handles some of the most high-profile Part VII transfers in the market, working with a premium roster of top insurer clients including Travelers, which it recently advised on the transfer of the entirety of the business of Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe. The hugely experienced James Bateson leads the team, supported by partners including Robert (Bob) Haken and David Whear, both of who have a track record of restructuring work, and Maria Ross, who has expertise in Part VIIs. Nicholas Berry, who leads the firm's London insurtech practice, is also well-regarded.

Pinsent Masons LLP has a strong offering in insolvency and restructuring; practice head Hammad Akhtar has a track record of work on cross-border Part VII transfers and regularly works with large insurance groups on their Brexit strategies, including Royal London Group, which he recently advised on the cross-border transfer of life insurance business. He is assisted by legal director Matthew Brewer, who joined from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in late 2017 and has been leading on the Part VII transfer process relating to Zurich's sale of its UK workplace pensions business to Lloyds Banking Group, involving assets under administration of £15bn.

In the insurance restructuring and insolvency space, RPC's team advises on loss portfolio and Part VII transfers (both in the life and non-life, and in the legacy space), run-offs, Lloyd's members restructurings and schemes of arrangement. Matthew Griffith leads the practice; he has compelling transactional experience and carries out Brexit-related work for many broking groups, and the team recently advised Equitable Life on its Brexit-related restructuring. Former insolvency and restructuring head Vivien Tyrell stepped down as partner and now acts as a consultant to the firm.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP's insurance insolvency and restructuring team benefits from its position as part of the US firm's global insolvency and restructuring practice, and has been involved in a number of the most-profile insurance restructurings in recent years. The practice also works in tandem with the firm's private funds group, positioning it to win more work relating to the restructuring of insurance companies and assets. Practice head Alexander Wood works alongside Mark Lawford, restructuring heavyweight Andrew Wilkinson and recently promoted partner Gemma Sage.