E&S/Specialty

Specialty insurer RLI Corp. reported a 9.8 percent decline in 2010 third-quarter net income compared to the 2009 third-quarter net income, driven in part by a rise in loss and settlement expenses.

Delos Insurance Group's rating from A.M. Best Co. is under review with negative implications following the merger of its holding company with Southwest Insurance Partners, Inc.

Contractors venturing into areas outside of their proven expertise should be aware that strict enforcement of environmental laws is on the increase and they should be taking steps to mitigate a huge potential risk.

"A difficult insurance market creates opportunities."

In the complex world of excess and surplus insurance, savvy insurers rely on the assessments provided by risk control engineers to accurately underwrite the unique exposures of each customer's operations.

In a market where growth seems elusive, the leader of Connecticut's newest managing general agency believes his startup--focused on servicing $1,500 surplus lines accounts--could bind $10 million of new business by year's end.