Armed with a brand new captive law, New Jersey’s captive insurance association today announced the formation of an advisory board and a logo.

While the Obama administration and several conservative organizations oppose climate litigation, feeling that the elected branches are better positioned to provide a sustainable national energy strategy, the U.S. Supreme Court will have its chance to make a mark on the discussion beginning in April.

Commercial property and casualty insurers could take the biggest hit both in losses and credit worthiness from the earthquake in Japan, according to a Moody’s report.

Troubled New York-based bond insurer Ambac Financial Group said its Wisconsin subsidiary, Ambac Assurance, will begin paying policy claims out of its segregated account in May.

Moody's Investors Service placed Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings’ ratings under review due to the company’s expected losses from first-quarter catastrophes.

Swiss Re said it expects $1.2 billion in claims from the Japan earthquake and tsunami on March 11, and warned that the estimate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty.

We've got individual company loss estimates coming in on the Japan earthquake and tsunami, including those from AIG and Swiss Re; a Moody's review on Flagstone and accompanying response; a piece on foreign reinsurers and reduced collateral requirements in Florida; and a bid to make earthquake insurance more affordable.

Japan may need five years to rebuild from the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that has caused up to $235 billion of damage, the World Bank said Monday.