BROKING A DEAL

I read with interest your report 'Run for Cover' concerning professional indemnity renewal (see [2001] 13 September, 22).

1 was concerned that the general manager of St Paul International referred to solicitors leaving the obtaining of cover very late.

On behalf of this firm we started the trawl at the beginning of July when we first began to receive requests from various brokers and companies.We were concerned as to the level of delay on the part of the brokers and insurers in coming back with quotes, one being as late as 22 August which was in fact from our existing brokers.We were also concerned as to the 'Arthur Daley and Del Boys' of this world who asked us to 'do the deal' there and then and who sounded incredulous when we stated the quotation was not good enough.

While the legal profession may well be treated with disdain by the majority of the public, we would hope that next year a slightly more serious tone could be taken by some of the brokers, as their professional approach alongside the quotations that they obtained were the deciding factor in which product we ultimately chose.Valerie Wormald, DW Carr & Co, Blyth, Northumberland