E&S/Specialty

The year got off to another slow start for property and casualty carriers, as MarketScout's monthly "Barometer" survey found U.S. commercial insurance pricing still soft, with premiums down an average of 4 percent in January.

The insurance market for social service facilities on both ends of the age spectrum is experiencing the same soft market conditions already dominating most lines of commercial coverage.

Toyota's recalls will have little impact on the ratings of auto and commercial lines insurers, according to Moody's, but a law firm said directors and officers carriers could face major exposure.

Patrick Ryan, the former CEO of Aon Corp., said he has turned his attention to developing a platform of wholesale broker, MGA and other broker services businesses, with the creation of Ryan Specialty Group and the launch of Ryan Specialty (Europe) Ltd.

It will take guts for executives of excess and surplus lines carriers to get through 2010, especially those who head up publicly traded operations, experts said at an investment analysts' conference recently.

The Surplus Line Association of California (SLA) said Les Ross has been named its new chairman.

Torus, the Bermuda-based specialty insurer, announced it is opening a West Coast office in San Francisco, which will initially focus on property and casualty lines.

Not all mega-events are created equally. Some are indoors, some are outdoors. They attract different crowds, and are held in locations throughout the world.