"Coverholder business has become an absolute priority for Lloyd's," according to Adam Stafford, senior project manager of market operations for Lloyd's...

They may not command the multi-billion-dollar premium figures touted by competitors involved in the latest merger deals, but market clout is not necessarily synonymous with size, according to executives of several large independent wholesale brokers.

"A difficult insurance market creates opportunities."

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.

Premiums written by the U.S. excess and surplus lines market fell nearly 5 percent to $11.5 billion in the first half of 2010, according to a report prepared by Highline Data exclusively for National Underwriter.

They may not command the multibillion-dollar premium figures touted by competitors involved in the latest merger deals, but market clout is not necessarily synonymous with size.

As retail brokers struggle with the declining revenue of a continuing soft market, they are engaging in some activities that frustrate their wholesalers, according to E&S brokerage executives.

Tucked into 2,000-plus pages of federal financial services reform legislation are just 10 relating to the surplus lines industry, but those pages will put end to decades of broker frustration, legislative experts say.