CEO ALLEGES ALABAMA WRECKED HIS BUSINESS

A former campaign supporter of Alabama Governor Bob Riley is suing him and other present and former state officials, accusing them of conspiring to drive him out of the insurance business.

John W. Goff of Mont gomery filed the suit in Mont-gomery County Circuit Court. The suit alleges that Riley, state Insurance Commiss ioner Walter Bell, former Lt. Gov. Steve Windom and others worked together to wreck Goff's workers' compensation business.

"Goff went from being one of Alabama's leading and reputable insurance providers to being wrongfully disgraced, publicly humiliated and financially ruined as a result of a vendetta waged against him by the defendants and others," the suit said.

The Alabama Insurance Department filed an administrative complaint against Goff in July 2004. Goff's suit alleges that many of the statements in the complaint were false, and it ruined his business.

The department accused Goff of collecting more than $800,000 from Alabama customers and agents and not passing along the money to XL Specialty Insurance and Greenwich Insurance. The complaint listed 50 businesses, churches, colleges and charities across the state that it said paid more than $800,000 for insurance, but Goff never gave XL and Greenwich their share. .

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LLOYD'S SURVEY AGAIN NAMES 'MANAGING THE CYCLE' AS CHIEF CONCERN

For the third year running, underwriters in the Lloyd's market have identified managing the cycle as the most important challenge for the industry, and over two-thirds believe that the industry has made some progress managing it, according to Lloyd's.

Lloyd's conducted its third Annual Underwriter Opinion Survey in January, polling 116 underwriters, who gave their views on the challenges and opportunities for the market over the next 12 months.

Lloyd's noted: "Perhaps unsurprisingly, two-thirds of the respondents perceive climate change to pose a major challenge to the insurance industry and nearly half believe insurance buyers are ill-prepared for the impact it will have on their businesses.

Terrorism, political, energy, property and directors and officers are, according to the survey, the risk categories expected to show the highest growth, in premium income, in 2007.

"Focusing on reform activity within Lloyd's, the majority believe that the Lloyd's market is enhancing its processes rapidly. Furthermore, the majority (81 percent) of underwriters believe that the Lloyd's market is committed to further business reform.

"In terms of global business, China was cited by a substantial proportion as the area with most significant growth opportunities in 2007."

The complete survey is available on the Lloyd's Web site at: www.lloyds.com.