A seminar cancelled because of the threat of Hurricane Fabian, the Sedgwick one-day conference on 'Hot topics for the Bermuda insurance market' is back on next week.

The law firm of Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP announced that it will be holding its rescheduled event on December 9 at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

Sedgwick lawyers from offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Orange County and London will address a range of topics of current interest and concern to the insurance community, from terrorism risk to tort reform to the initial public offering securities litigation that has arisen out of the bursting of the 'dot com' bubble.

The seminar had been originally scheduled for September 10 but was postponed due to Hurricane Fabian.

Richard Geddes, a partner in Sedgwick's Chicago office and host for the seminar said: "We had about 100 delegates signed up to attend in September, including underwriting and claims personnel from most of the Island's major insurers and brokers as well as a number of accountants and representatives from the insurance regulator's office."

He added: "This time we expecting a lower response rate, due to the approaching Christmas holiday and the January 1 renewal season, but we are still expecting a good turnout."

Sedgwick intends to repeat the seminar annually, tailoring the presentations to the 'Hot Topics' of the day. The seminar, which is free of charge but on an invitation only basis, will consist of eight separate presentations that should offer something of interest to all sectors of the insurance community, said the organisers.

Mr. Geddes explained that Sedgwick was no stranger to Bermuda, its lawyers having represented Bermudian insurers since the 1970s.

He said: "Back then the Bermuda market consisted of mostly captive insurers with only a few smaller insurance companies underwriting in the international markets.

"The contrast with the market today could hardly be starker, with Bermuda-based companies today exercising huge influence over the world insurance and reinsurance markets."

The seminar will feature a presentation by Sedgwick lawyer Mark Chudleigh, a partner in Sedgwick's London office.

Mr. Chudleigh will be discussing the recent English decision, Sphere Drake v EIU and Stirling Cooke Brown, which concerns fraud in the reinsurance markets involving reinsurance companies, brokers and underwriting agents based in the US, Bermuda and London.