2026 Insurance Law Forum: Global Perspectives

Hotel Information

AIDA U.S. has secured a room block at the JB Duke Hotel, conveniently located adjacent to Duke University School of Law. Attendees may reserve rooms at the special conference rate using the link below or by calling JB Duke Hotel's reservations department at (919) 660-6400.

Reservation link: AIDA U.S. Insurance Law Forum (Group ID #1172729)

Please note that hotel accommodations are not included in the conference registration fee and must be booked separately by each attendee.

Rooms are limited, and we encourage early booking to ensure availability.

Agenda at a Glance

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2026

Welcome Reception

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026

Emerging Risks, Insurance Products, and Issues Presented
Moderator: Richard H. Nicolaides, Jr., Partner, Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides
Sullivan LLP; Senior Lecturing Fellow, Duke University School of Law

Emerging Risk: How Geopolitics is Creating a New Investment Landscape Dr. Elizabeth Stephens, Ph.D., MSc., BA, Managing Director, Geopolitical Risk
Advisory

The pillars of the international system are unravelling. Tariffs are reshaping trading patterns and armed conflicts are raging. Europe is in economic decline, demographics are undermining traditional power structures, and AI is rapidly creating a new world order. This discussion will explore how the transformed geopolitical landscape will impact the insurance sector and the opportunities this will create for growth and innovation.

Credit, M&A, and Political Risks
Dan Riordan, Head of Political Risk, Credit, & Surety, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance

The dynamic and unpredictable global marketplace presents a variety of risks to companies operating in or dependent on foreign or challenging markets, including
financial losses due to buyer non-payment or adverse government actions/political instability, expropriation, currency issues, contract breaches, and political violence.

This discussion will explore those risks, the nature and scope of credit and political risk insurance products designed to respond to those risks, and related legal issues.

Parametric Insurance
Oliver Brand, Prof., University of Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Parametric insurance offers an alternative to traditional indemnity-based coverage by paying out when a predefined, measurable trigger—such as rainfall levels or seismic intensity—is reached, rather than after loss assessment. This design enables faster payouts, lower transaction costs, and clearer risk pricing. In Europe, parametric insurance has gained particular traction as a policy and market response to climate- related risks. It is increasingly used to complement public disaster compensation schemes, support agricultural resilience, and protect infrastructure and municipalities against extreme weather. European applications are shaped by dense regulatory environments, public–private partnerships, and cross-border risk pooling.

Questions—such as whether parametric insurance is insurance at all and which regulatory framework applies—need to be answered and have found answers in
Europe, making the European experience a valuable comparative case for scholars and practitioners interested in climate adaptation, insurance innovation, and the
evolving role of the state in risk transfer.

Russian Aircraft Lessor Policy Claims
Thomas Marrinson, Reed Smith
Aidan McCormack, Dentons
Felix Zimmermann, Simmons & Simmons

This program will explore key legal and practical issues involved in the insurance litigation that arose from Russian aviation claims after the invasion of Ukraine. The program will discuss the types of coverage at play, including War Risk coverage and exclusions, possessed vs. contingent coverage, how courts have approached some of the frequently encountered issues, the use of experts, and the challenges posed by litigation involving anonymous and non-English speaking witnesses.

Reinsurance: Developments & Trending Topics
Ozlem Gurses, Prof., Tulane University
Donald Hornstein, Prof., University of North Carolina
Jeff Stempel, Prof., University of Nevada Las Vegas

This panel will provide an overview of reinsurance and the current state of the marketplace, including alternative risk management techniques such as catastrophe
bonds along with a review of The Principles of Reinsurance Contract Law (PRICL), a recently completed model code for reinsurance disputes as well as examining recent decisions of note and their implications for reinsurers and reinsureds.

International Business Risks: Underwriting and Claims Issues
Chris Carroll, Kennedys
James Dorion, Willis Towers Watson

Ingrid Hobbs & Olivia Delagrange, Simmons & Simmons
Diane Hudanish, BorgWarner Global Risk Manager
John Shugrue, Reed Smith

This program will explore and examine the intricacies and complexities of international insurance programs, including underwriting and claims issues arising
from such programs. Topics will include program structures involving master, local, and DIC/DIL policies; claims notice and claims handling for multi-national claims; and priority, timing, and interplay of claims under various types and layers of policies and conflicting or inconsistent dispute resolution regimes.

U.S. & Global Insurance Law Organizations: An Overview
Kathleen Defever, Defever Law
Travis Pantin, Prof., University of Connecticut

Cocktail & Dinner Reception

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2026

Artificial Intelligence & Insurance:
AI Risks, Insurance Products, & Regulatory and Legal
Implications
Ty Childress, Jones Day
Leo Martinez, Prof., UC Law San Francisco

Pierpaolo Mariano, Prof., L-Università ta' Malta, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore,
Latvijas Universitate
Daniel Schwarcz, Prof., University of Minnesota
Peter Wedge, General Counsel, Testudo (Zurich, Switzerland)
Josephine Wolff, Prof., Tufts University

This panel explores how rapid advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping core questions in insurance law and regulation. Speakers will examine how AI is
transforming underwriting, claims handling, and risk modeling, and will assess the regulatory and legal implications that follow, including challenges at the intersection of liability, transparency, and consumer protection. The discussion will also consider the extent to which insurers can meaningfully mitigate AI risks through pricing strategies, coverage design, and more proactive measures aimed at reducing the frequency and severity of AI-driven losses.

For questions about The Insurance Law Forum: Global Perspectives, please contact AIDA U.S.
Communications Director Jessica DuBrock at jdubrock@nicolaidesllp.com.