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OPTIS: Insurance Agency M&A Down 18% in Q1 2024

The first quarter of 2024 was the slowest for insurance agency mergers and acquisitions since the middle of the pandemic, according to investment banking and financial firm OPTIS Partners. OPTIS Partners’ M&A database counted 155 announced insurance agency mergers and …

Savannah Ordinance: Vehicles Should be Locked When Guns Left Inside

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Coastal Georgia’s largest city will require guns left in empty vehicles be securely stored, an effort that Savannah Mayor Van Johnson says is meant to cut down on gun thefts from unlocked cars. “We are not …

South Carolina Allows Out-of-State Adjusters After Massive Hail Storm

In the wake of last week’s widespread hail storm that damaged homes and automobiles, the South Carolina director of insurance said that emergency rules allow out-of-state adjusters and appraisers to work claims, as long as they are licensed in other …

W.R. Berkley Reports 50.4% Increase in Q1 Net Income

First quarter net income at W.R. Berkley Corp. increased about 50% compared to the same period the prior year to about $442.5 million on pretax underwriting income growth of 31.8% to $309 million. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based commercial insurer started 2024 …

Delaware High Court Hands Agency a New Shot at Malpractice Claim Against Law Firm

A Delaware insurance agency has won another chance at proving a law firm was negligent in defending it in a non-compete dispute with another agency, a dispute it ended up settling for $1.2 million. The Delaware Supreme Court has reversed …

Munich Re Says Beating Target More Likely After Strong Quarter

Munich Re said it might beat its profit target for the year after first-quarter profit jumped amid benign expenditures to cover major losses and a strong investment result. Net income rose to about €2.1 billion ($2.2 billion) in the three …

Markets/Coverages: Liberty Mutual Re, Safehub Offer Parametric Quake Re/Insurance

Liberty Mutual Reinsurance (LM Re), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has announced a partnership with Safehub, a technology provider in seismic sensor and risk management solutions to offer a market-first, building-specific, sensor-based, parametric earthquake re/insurance product to clients globally. …

Musk Decries Australian Court ‘Censorship’ of Terror Posts on X

Elon Musk lashed out at Australia’s prime minister on Tuesday after a court ordered his social media company X take down footage of an alleged terrorist attack in Sydney, and said the ruling meant any country could control “the entire …

Oklahoma Bus Driver Crashes Into Building After Being Punched by Passenger

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A man was arrested after being accused of punching an Oklahoma City bus driver and causing the bus to crash into a building. Oklahoma City police reported only minor injuries stemming from the Saturday wreck. Authorities …

Dubai Floods Expose Weaknesses to a Rapidly Changing Climate

The heavy rains that flooded Dubai last week halted air traffic, damaged buildings and streets — and left climate experts and common citizens asking whether one of the world’s hottest and driest cities should be better prepared for extreme storms. …

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