Bermuda-based Catlin Group Ltd., the international specialty property/casualty re/insurer, has announced that the group will start writing selected classes of short-term life re/insurance, effective from next month.

The life business to be written by Catlin complements the group's book of accident and health business. The business written will include niche short-term life insurance and reinsurance products; investment-linked business will not be written. The life business will diversify the group's underwriting portfolio and is largely uncorrelated to the other risks underwritten by the group.

The coverage will be underwritten by two new Catlin entities: Catlin has received authorisation from Lloyd's to establish a life insurance syndicate, Syndicate 3002. The syndicate, which is wholly capitalised by a Catlin Group subsidiary, will write a worldwide portfolio of short-term life insurance and reinsurance coverages placed in the London market.

Catlin has also established a Guernsey-domiciled branch of Catlin Insurance Company Ltd. of Bermuda (Catlin Bermuda). This branch will write short-term life reinsurance for clients in international markets that would not normally access the London market.

The branch will initially focus on the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions.

Catlin s existing accident and health operations, underwritten by the Catlin Syndicate at Lloyd's and Catlin US, produced gross premiums written of more than $130 million in 2008.

The types of accident and health business underwritten by Catlin include: general personal accident, occupational accident, workers compensation excess of loss, aviation personal accident and loss of licence, sports-related coverages, keyman and confidential life.

Stephen Catlin, chief executive of Catlin Group, said: I am pleased to announce that Catlin will begin to underwrite various classes of short-term life insurance and reinsurance, both through a new Lloyd's syndicate and through a Guernsey Branch of Catlin Bermuda."