Director, The Yacht Practice
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I joined Lloyd’s Underwriters Claims and Recoveries Office (LUCRO) in 1986 as a trainee marine claims examiner in the Hull department. LUCRO was a department of the Corporation of Lloyd’s. Between 1986 and 1992 I was trained as a claims adjuster in Hull and Machinery claims, marine liabilities and some energy claims. From approximately 1992 onwards I began to specialise in yacht insurance claims mainly arising in Europe, United Kingdom and Florida. In 1998 I was appointed Head of Yacht claims at the Lloyd’s Claims office (LCO) which was the successor to LUCRO. The role involved management of the most complex yacht claims and advising the Lloyd’s underwriters on yacht insurance matters generally.
In April 1999, I formed my own company called Global Claims Management Limited (Global). The company provided claims management and adjusting services primarily to Lloyd’s yacht syndicates and other major London yacht insurers. Later I added offices in Tortola, San Diego and Fort Lauderdale.
During the expansion of Global I was invited to speak at seminars, lecture at universities and write for the insurance, yachting and general media on matters relating to superyacht insurance and superyacht claims:
i. Publications:
The Superyacht Report
Superyacht Matters
Lloyd’s List
Insurance Day
The Sunday Telegraph
The journal of the International Institute of Marine Surveyors
ii. Lectures and presentations:
Lloyd’s Underwriters Association
Lloyd’s
International Marine Claims Conference
University of Miami
Maritime Law Association seminar
International Institute of Marine Surveyors
Superyacht Claims Adjusters Association
Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Middle East
Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors
Fort Lauderdale Mariners Club
In late 2006, I entered into discussions with Charles Taylor Adjusting Ltd (CT) to acquire the business of Global. In February 2007, I joined CT as Director of the newly founded Yacht Practice. As Director I am responsible not only for yachts in the London office but also throughout the world. Of the 80 plus offices that Charles Taylor owns outside of London the principal yacht offices are Piraeus, Hong Kong and Singapore. In June 2017, the Yacht Practice opened a yacht-exclusive office in Fort Lauderdale Florida.
In 2013, I convened the first meeting of the Superyacht Claims Adjusters Association SCAA. The purpose of the association is to bring together all of those involved in superyacht claims whether they are owners, captains or insurers. The membership now stands at three hundred professionals worldwide.