Testing timesfor the D&O safety net. Europe’s sovereign debt crisis will mean more insolvencies. The market for directors' and officers’ (D&O) liability insurance is now 80 years old, having initially been developed by Lloyd’s of London in the early 1930s during the worldwide Great Depression. At that time, companies were not permitted to provide indemnification

Chartis Market Research & Analytics - Tables and statistics are compiled from the Stanford Securities Class Actions Clearinghouse index of filings for the relevant time periods, in conjunction with domicile, incorporation and industry data sourced from Bloomberg, to identify geographic location and industry group.

Produced with input from Chartis - The growth of the internet has created a new business and personal environment. Communication – and reaction – is almost instantaneous. Programs allow customers’ details to be stored immediately. Social networking allows businesses to reach a far wider audience than their existing business base and potential readers of advertisements. This new environment has evolved very quickly, and it is still developing. Unfortunately, so are the associated threats and risks.

Advisen White Paper - Cloud computing provides companies with the flexibility, efficiency, cost savings and adaptability to remain competitive in today’s rapidly changing global marketplace. The buzz around cloud computing continues to grow, but not all industries have embraced the technology with the same level of enthusiasm. For example, large multinational retail and hospitality companies continually look to improve service capabilities and cut expenses,

The Enterprise Act made significant changes to competition law in the UK, and also tackled some trading practices which are harmful to consumers. The four particular provisions that affect businesses and their directors are the cartel offence, directors’ disqualification, enforcement orders and damages claims.

The first conviction of Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings Limited under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act raised awareness of an organisation’s duty of care towards individuals. The Act was designed to make it easier to convict companies that caused death, following public

Reprint from Financial Director Europe - In the wake of the global financial crisis, legal action is on the rise and is increasingly being targeted not just at companies, but also at individual executives. Géraud Verhille of Chartis discusses the legislative changes that have facilitated this, the implications they have for executives and boards of directors, and what they can do to protect themselves.

Reprint from Strategic Risk - Directors experienced three shockwaves from the 2008 global financial crisis: the immediate consequences, the knock-on effects and the new environment that emerged.

Reprint from Financier Worldwide - Continued economic turbulence, a sharpened focus on fraud and a raft of new regulations increase the market risk for directors and officers.

Reprint from Strategic Risk - D&O Liability Insurance is very much a buyers’ market. Over the past seven years, European companies have benefited from increasingly advantageous prices and terms as a result of continuing high insurance capacity.

The Health and Safety Offences Act came into effect in April 2008. It introduces tougher penalties for Health and Safety offences. Prison is now an option for most offences and the maximum fines that magistrates’ courts can impose have been increased.

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into effect in April 2008. It is expected to make it easier to convict culpable companies – it could also expose the behaviours of senior management to much greater scrutiny.

This note looks at two particularly important areas of the legislation: directors’ duties and the rights of shareholders to sue directors (“derivative actions”).