Thursday, March 12, 2026
Emerging Risks, Insurance Products, and Issues Presented
Moderator: Richard H. Nicolaides, Jr., Partner, Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP; Senior Lecturing Fellow, Duke University School of Law
Emerging Risk: How Geopolitics is Creating a New Investment Landscape
Dr. Elizabeth Stephens, Ph.D., MSc., BA, Managing Director, Geopolitical Risk Advisory
The pillars of the international system are unravelling. Tariffs are reshaping trading patterns and armed conflicts are raging.
Europe is in economic decline, demographics are undermining traditional power structures, and AI is rapidly creating a new world order.
This discussion will explore how the transformed geopolitical landscape will impact the insurance sector and the opportunities this will create
for growth and innovation.
Credit, M&A, and Political Risks
Dan Riordan, Head of Political Risk, Credit, & Surety, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance
The dynamic and unpredictable global marketplace presents risks to companies operating in or dependent on foreign or challenging markets,
including financial losses due to buyer non-payment or adverse government actions and political instability, expropriation, currency issues,
contract breaches, and political violence. This discussion will explore those risks, the credit and political risk insurance products designed
to respond, and related legal issues.
Parametric Insurance
Oliver Brand, Prof., University of Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Parametric insurance offers an alternative to traditional indemnity-based coverage by paying out when a predefined, measurable trigger is reached,
rather than after loss assessment. This design enables faster payouts, lower transaction costs, and clearer risk pricing. In Europe, parametric insurance
has gained traction as a policy and market response to climate-related risks and is increasingly used to complement public disaster compensation schemes,
support agricultural resilience, and protect infrastructure and municipalities against extreme weather. European applications are shaped by dense regulatory
environments, public–private partnerships, and cross-border risk pooling. Questions such as whether parametric insurance is insurance at all and which
regulatory framework applies have found answers in Europe, making the European experience a valuable comparative case.
Russian Aircraft Lessor Policy Claims
Thomas Marrinson, Reed Smith · Aidan McCormack, Dentons · Felix Zimmermann, Simmons & Simmons
This program will explore key legal and practical issues involved in insurance litigation that arose from Russian aviation claims after the invasion of Ukraine.
Topics include War Risk coverage and exclusions, possessed vs. contingent coverage, frequently encountered issues in the case law, the use of experts,
and challenges posed by litigation involving anonymous and non-English speaking witnesses.
Reinsurance: Developments & Trending Topics
Ozlem Gurses, Prof., Tulane University · Donald Hornstein, Prof., University of North Carolina · Jeff Stempel, Prof., University of Nevada Las Vegas
Overview of reinsurance and the current state of the marketplace, including alternative risk management techniques such as catastrophe bonds;
review of The Principles of Reinsurance Contract Law (PRICL), a recently completed model code for reinsurance disputes; and recent decisions of note.
International Business Risks: Underwriting and Claims Issues
Chris Carroll, Kennedys · James Dorion, Willis Towers Watson · Ingrid Hobbs & Olivia Delagrange, Simmons & Simmons · Diane Hudanish, BorgWarner Global Risk Manager · John Shugrue, Reed Smith
Examination of international insurance programs, including underwriting and claims issues. Topics include master/local/DIC-DIL structures;
claims notice and handling for multi-national claims; and priority, timing, and interplay of claims under various layers and dispute resolution regimes.
U.S. & Global Insurance Law Organizations: An Overview
Kathleen Defever, Defever Law · Travis Pantin, Prof., University of Connecticut
Cocktail & Dinner Reception
Friday, March 13, 2026
Artificial Intelligence & Insurance: AI Risks, Insurance Products, & Regulatory and Legal Implications
Ty Childress, Jones Day · Leo Martinez, Prof., UC Law San Francisco · Pierpaolo Mariano, Prof., L-Università ta' Malta; Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Latvijas Universitate · Daniel Schwarcz, Prof., University of Minnesota · Peter Wedge, General Counsel, Testudo (Zurich, Switzerland) · Josephine Wolff, Prof., Tufts University
This panel explores how rapid advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping core questions in insurance law and regulation.
Speakers will examine how AI is transforming underwriting, claims handling, and risk modeling, and will assess the regulatory and legal
implications that follow, including challenges at the intersection of liability, transparency, and consumer protection. The discussion will also
consider the extent to which insurers can mitigate AI risks through pricing strategies, coverage design, and more proactive measures aimed at
reducing the frequency and severity of AI-driven losses.