When Michael Turk, senior consultant for Towers Perrin, pulled together figures for his firm's annual directors and officers liability insurance survey back in 2007, something just didn't seem right.

A reputation in the umbrella liability business distinguishes W.H. Greene & Associates, and according to President Bill Greene, that's a foot in the door of retail agency customers for the East Aurora, N.Y.-based wholesaler and MGU.

Emerging insurance losses were the focus of several of 2009's top stories for the E&S/specialty lines segment--with a Ponzi schemer, a pandemic and an imported product bringing unexpected exposures into focus this year.

Beyond Ponzi schemes and pandemics, links from the 2009 editions of NU's E&S/Specialty Lines Extra e-newsletter took readers to articles about more expected topics...

Last month's $16.5 million settlement in an employee benefits plan case may open the floodgates to suits alleging excessive 401(k) fees, and fiduciary liability suits related to Ponzi schemes are poised to climb as well.

Crime insurance and fidelity bonds provide only limited protection to financial institutions and other insureds seeking to recover losses from fraudulent operations like mortgage scams and Ponzi schemes, experts said here.

When Michael Turk, senior consultant for Towers Perrin, pulled together figures for his firm's annual directors & officers liability insurance survey back in 2007, something just didn't seem right.

With two cornerstones of their market's operational framework under attack--niche underwriting and wholesale distribution--E&S lines brokers and insurers are finding it tougher just to stay even, let alone gain any ground.