James Crabtree

James advises on insurance and reinsurance contracts, collateralised transactions, underwriting pools, and global programmes, often involving insolvency and regulatory issues across complex facultative and treaty structures.

• Successfully represented a German reinsurance company in the recovery of reinsurance claims paid by mistake (with recovery achieved without need for proceedings).
• Advised a major European insurance and reinsurance company on the terms and conditions of an intra-group quota share reinsurance agreement and set-off rights in the event of the insolvency of the reinsured, for the purposes of meeting regulatory requirements.
• Advised a reinsurer of worldwide property catastrophe risks on the terms of a collateralised reinsurance contract exposed to major earthquake losses.
• Advised a life insurance company on potential exposure under a contractual indemnity clause in a sale and purchase agreement relating to the disposal of a Canadian life insurance company.
• Advised a major European insurance group on terms and conditions of a scheme of arrangement in respect of an insolvent insurance company and on associated reinsurance-related issues.
• Advised a major European insurance group on contractual, regulatory, and strategic issues relating to an extended warranty motor insurance programme.
• Advised German reinsurers on English law issues relevant to underwriting pool operations.
• Advised an offshore reinsurance company on various reinsurance coverage matters, relating to whether business interruption insurance claims arising from the COVID-19 pandemic can be aggregated as a single reinsurance claim.
• Advised a major international insurance group on issues relating to the recoverability of a reinsurance claim arising from damage sustained to equipment at a project site for the construction of a hydro-electric dam in Ecuador.
• Advised European insurance groups on issues arising from the insolvency of a US-based insurer and a UK scheme of arrangement.
• Advised a global reinsurance group on various matters relating to whether Covid-19 associated business interruption insurance claims and event cancellation insurance claims can be aggregated as a single reinsurance claim.
• Acted for a major global insurance and reinsurance group in relation to aggregate Covid-19-related reinsurance claims.

James advises on coverage disputes involving class actions, construction claims, and banking liabilities. He represents insurers and policyholders in high-value quota share, excess of loss, and professional indemnity disputes.

• Advised a major European insurance group on quota share and excess of loss reinsurance exposure to French construction and engineering claims; advised on defences available and on commutation negotiations with reinsured.
• Advised a major European insurer on exposure to claims subject to an investor class action in Belgian courts.
• Represented an international bank in a dispute concerning the recovery of a bankers’ professional indemnity claim originating from a bond offering in New York.

James advises on complex coverage disputes and jurisdictional issues, with reported cases including AXA Re, Groupama, and Konkola. He acts in claims involving construction, financial lines, and marine and credit insurance.

• AXA Re v Ace Global Markets – Commercial Court decision regarding the effect of a court jurisdiction clause in a reinsurance contract (representing AXA Re).
• Garnat Trading & Shipping (Singapore) v Baominh Insurance – Court of Appeal decision on whether marine insurance policy was void for material non-disclosure and whether the implied warranty of seaworthiness was breached (representing Baominh Insurance).
• Groupama v Catatumbo CA Seguros – Court of Appeal decision regarding governing the law of warranty in a reinsurance contract (representing Groupama).
• Akai Pty Ltd v People’s Insurance – Commercial Court decision concerning a jurisdictional dispute affecting a credit insurance policy (representing Akai).
• Konkola Copper Mines v Coromin – Commercial Court decision concerning jurisdictional issues affecting a global insurance and reinsurance programme for Zambian copper mining risks (representing Konkola Copper Mines).

James advises on pharmaceutical liability and clinical trial risk, defending excess of loss claims and advising life sciences sponsors and lenders on insurance in device-related and cyber-exposed trial contexts.

• Successfully defended a German reinsurance company in arbitration proceedings relating to a pharmaceutical liability claim presented under excess of loss reinsurance contract.
• Advised sponsors of clinical trials on the effect of various clinical trial and cyber risk insurance contracts in the context of ongoing transactions entailing clinical trial and master services agreements.
• Advised lenders on the scope of potential borrowers’ liability insurances in the context of a medical device-related liability claim.

James advises on marine, offshore energy, mining, and construction risks, including claims from drilling operations, dam construction failures, and property damage or business interruption at energy and industrial project sites.

• Advised a global reinsurer on offshore energy claims relating to drilling operations off the coast of Nigeria.
• Advised a major global reinsurer on issues arising under a facultative retrocession contract and recovery of an offshore energy claim made thereunder.
• Represented a mining group in relation to the recovery of a substantial property damage and business interruption claim arising from the collapse of an open pit at a Zambian copper mine.
• Represented a French reinsurance company in the defence of claims derived from the Cuban sugar trade and the gas transportation sector in Argentina.

James advises German insurers and insurance groups on issues arising in both insurance and reinsurance matters.

• Advised a German insurer on issues relating to the consequences of Brexit.
• Advised a European energy group on insurance policy terms relevant to an insurance claim arising from damage sustained at a power plant.
• Advised a German reinsurance company on various reinsurance contracts exposed to COVID-19 related claims.
• Advised a German branch of a global insurer on issues arising from the insolvency of an American insurance company and associated underwriting pool issues.
• Advised a German insurance group in a multi-faceted case relating to significant issues concerning the management of the exposures of insolvent insurance companies and the making of reinsurance claims.

Recognised by Chambers UK for Insurance: Contentious Claims & Reinsurance 2022–2027

Recognised by Chambers Global for Corporate Finance: Mid-Market 2026

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Insurance and Reinsurance Litigation 2028, 2020–2027

Recognised by The Legal 500 for International Arbitration 2018, 2026

Recognised by Best Lawyers UK for Insurance Law 2023–2025

Recognised by Chambers and Partners Global Guide  for Contentious Claims & Reinsurance 2024

Recognised by Who’s Who Legal for Insurance and Reinsurance 2018, 2023

Recognised by Expert Guides for Insurance and Reinsurance 2018

Finance Monthly’s Fintech Award for UK Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyer of the Year 2017