Alex Denslow

Practice Areas

Alex Denslow is Head of the CMS Insurance Group. In this position, he leads an international team of 100 specialist lawyers.

He is a recommended partner in Chambers and Legal 500 for insurance / reinsurance disputes and international arbitrations, and was shortlisted for the Financial Times Innovative Lawyer.

Alex advises international insurers and reinsurers on direct and reinsurance disputes and coverage issues, across non-marine (particularly property and casualty) and marine (cargo, freight liability and offshore energy) matters. He also has extensive experience of defending brokers and their E&O insurers in major multi-party disputes. He provides coverage advice and handles the defence of claims across energy, specie, property solicitor and IFA lines of business.

Alex has considerable trial experience. He has been involved in several landmark cases including the Court of Appeal decisions in Bonner-v-Cox; Jones-v-Environcom; Clark-v-In Focus and Aspen Insurance-v-Adana Construction and acted in numerous successful confidential arbitrations.

Having held in-house positions at Miller Insurance Services LLP, Markel International and Aon, Alex’s advice is underpinned by an understanding of how the insurance market operates. He provides tailored risk management training to clients and lectures extensively on legal issues affecting the market, as well as litigation strategy. He is a co-author of the leading English legal textbook "Insurance Broking Practice and the Law". Alex was awarded the CMS Client Relationship Partner Award for outstanding service to his clients.

Professional Memberships

British Insurance Law Association

The Law Society

Publications

2016 – Minimising reinsurers’ risks when fronting in emerging markets, Insurance Day, Legal Focus

2015 – When is a product not a product, Insurance Day, Legal Focus

2014 – Court of Appeal blocks ‘top-up’ compensation, The Times

2014 – Appeals court rules FOS compensation is final, Professional Adviser

2014 – Appeals court rules FOS compensation is final, Mortgage Solutions

2014 – Customers lose right to sue after taking ombudsman compensation, The Telegraph

2014 – Landmark ruling removes threat of redress double whammy. FT Adviser

2014 – Landmark Court of Appeal ruling finds complaints can’t sue in addition to FOS award, Money Marketing

2014 – Bermuda Form Dispute may reach Supreme Court, The Insurance Insider

2013 – What are the cracks in contract certainty, Global Reinsurance

2012 – How Sandy will hit insurers, Reactions

2012 – Sandy will test insurer policies, says lawyer, Insurance Times

2012 – The hurricane Sandy business interruption conundrum, Artemis

Work Highlights

IFA and its PI insurers in the ground-breaking Court of Appeal decision of Clark v In Focus Asset Management, which decided that a claimant cannot accept the maximum FOS award limit, and then sue for the balance of loss in court.

Aon in the heavyweight “77 Energy Cover” (Bonner-v-Cox) Commercial Court litigation, a six month trial of a complex £100m dispute over reinsurance of an energy cover purchased by Lloyd’s underwriters.

Broker Miles Smith in the Court of Appeal case of Jones v Environcom, the seminal decision on the duty of care owed by a broker to its client.

Coverage and aggregation issues arising in connection with California Wildfires, Hurricane Frances, Typhoon Songda, World Trade Centre, PA Spiral, NZ earthquakes, Superstorm Sandy

Numerous successful arbitrations, most recently concerning the trigger of an OIML Warranty following an incident involving the FPSO Maersk Gryphon.

A groundworks contractor in the Court of Appeal decision of Aspen v Adana Construction which concerned its coverage dispute with its liability insurer following a tower crane collapse. the first reported decision on the meaning of “product” in a standard combined contractor’s liability policy and determining the inter-relationship of product and public liability sections and the operation of efficacy exclusions in product liability wordings.

Coverage advice on the failure of steel bolts in The Leadenhall “Cheesegrater” Building.

Complex arbitration involving a coverage dispute following a claim made for US$ 17mn CBI losses flowing from the collapse of a bridge in Russia.

Italian insurers in relation to the successful subrogated recovery in a Commercial Court trial against the Salvage Association following a negligent JH143 Shipyard risk assessment survey which contributed to damage following a fire on the vessel MV Cala Palma.

Coverage / defence instructions on a wide variety of specie issues involving freight liability, cargo, aquaculture, fine art and trade credit.

Education