A.M. Best Co. said it has removed the "under-review" status from the "A-minus" financial strength ratings of the operating subsidiaries of Ironshore after assessing management's execution of a new business plan.

Less than a month after Max Capital and IPC Re announced their boards had approved a merger deal, Validus Holdings presented the IPC board with a second offer to merge with the property-catastrophe reinsurer valued at $1.68 billion.

Responding to a rival bid for Bermuda-based property-catastrophe reinsurance specialist IPC Holdings from Validus Holdings yesterday, Max Capital said its lower-priced merger deal would create a company with better diversification.

Less than a month after Max Capital and IPC Re announced their boards approved a merger deal valued at roughly $900 million, Validus Holdings has presented the IPC board with a rival bid valued at $1.68 billion.

Before introducing a panel at the recent PLUS D&O Symposium on the ramifications of political changes on securities litigation, David Bell, COO of Allied World Assurance Company, delivered some introductory remarks.

The hot topic on the lips of speakers at nearly every session of the PLUS conference speculating on emerging trends was the increasing number of bankruptcies, but the fact that assets are tapped out is not necessarily a deterrent for plaintiffs' lawyers.

Taxpayer money used to bail out failing banks may mean lower dollars paid out on settlements for the latest crop of securities class-actions against financial institutions, an academic predicted recently.

Seventy-two percent of respondents to a recent survey on D&O claims issues answered yes to the question, "Have you been involved in an actual claim where the D&O insurer paid more than you believe it needed to based upon the facts and coverage issues?"