Allied World U.S. Launches Mergers & Acquisitions Division

ZUG, Switzerland, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG (NYSE: AWH) announced today that Allied World U.S. has expanded its Professional Lines operations with the launch of a new Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) division. Initial product offerings for this division include: Representations and Warranties Insurance, Loss Portfolio Transfers, Loss Mitigation Insurance/Litigation Buy-outs, Tax Opinion Liability, and Specific Contingency Insurance. Jeff Anderson, Vice President, has been appointed to oversee the new division. He will be based in Allied World's New York office.

John McElroy, President, Professional Lines, commented "Despite current economic conditions, M&A activity has been on the rise in the U.S. over the past several years and the demand for adequate coverage is growing. Errors that occur during corporate financial transactions can be extremely costly to all parties involved. We have a seasoned M&A unit in the United Kingdom and Jeff will utilize our experienced domestic Allied World M&A resources to provide the same level of protection to our clients in the U.S."

Mr. Anderson has over 16 years of experience in the insurance industry. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Prior to his current role, Mr. Anderson was Vice President, Professional Lines, responsible for the underwriting, marketing, production and distribution for Public Company Directors & Officers Insurance, Fiduciary Liability Insurance and Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Prior to joining Allied World, he was Senior Vice President at Willis overseeing a suite of Management Liability insurance products.

For more information about our current suite of M&A products in the U.S., please contact Jeff Anderson at [email protected].

About Allied World Assurance Company

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG, through its subsidiaries, is a global provider of innovative property, casualty and specialty insurance and reinsurance solutions, offering superior client service through a global network of offices and branches. All of Allied World's rated insurance and reinsurance subsidiaries are rated A by A.M. Best Company, A by Standard & Poor's, and A2 by Moody's, and our Lloyd's Syndicate 2232 is rated A+ by Standard & Poor's and Fitch. Please visit www.awac.com for further information on Allied World.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Any forward-looking statements made in this press release reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in these statements.  For example, our forward-looking statements could be affected by pricing and policy term trends; increased competition; the impact of acts of terrorism and acts of war; greater frequency or severity of unpredictable catastrophic events; negative rating agency actions; the adequacy of our loss reserves; the company or its subsidiaries becoming subject to significant income taxes in the United States or elsewhere; changes in regulations or tax laws; changes in the availability, cost or quality of reinsurance or retrocessional coverage; adverse general economic conditions; and judicial, legislative, political and other governmental developments, as well as management's response to these factors, and other factors identified in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We are under no obligation (and expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or revise any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

SOURCE Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG