In a changing marketplace, excess and surplus lines executives affirmed the importance of, and their commitment to, the wholesale distribution system but noted that the ability to innovate and develop new products will be critical to the survival of that distribution system.

What keeps E&S insurance executives up at night? That was the question posed to a three-member panel at the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices (NAPSLO) Mid-Year Leadership Forum.

PartnerRe Ltd. said it is estimating 2011 first-quarter losses from catastrophe activity in Australia to be between $80 million and $110 million.

Insurance groups are opposing a bill under consideration in South Carolina that would reverse a recent court ruling on what is considered an “occurrence” in construction general liability insurance contracts.

Legislation proposed in some states that would bar workers’ compensation benefits for illegal immigrants could have the unintended consequence of incentivizing employers to hire such workers, an insurance group representative said.

U.S.-based multinational companies will likely benefit from an ongoing soft insurance market, as competition for a range of coverages for these companies is expected to continue through 2011, Marsh said in a recent report.

Catastrophe losses helped drive an 84 percent decline in Pembroke, Bermuda-based PartnerRe Ltd.’s 2010 fourth quarter net income, and the company reported that upward revisions for New Zealand earthquake and Australia flood losses added 12 points to the combined ratio.

A number of deaths that occurred in Louisiana, Florida and Virginia were not likely due to the presence of Chinese drywall in homes, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) review.