CCBE looks for cover

Minimum terms for professional indemnity insurance across Europe and ending the problem of 'double insurance' are to be investigated by the Council of the Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) following the first conference discussing the issue.

As a result of the conference - held in Brussels last week - the CCBE aims to help bars and insurers check whether their policies are equivalent.

'Double insurance' has been a long-standing problem for firms with offices in various countries, which all require compulsory indemnity cover to ensure there is no gap in coverage.

The CCBE will also investigate the longer-term potential of establishing minimum terms and conditions for all European lawyers, and also a 'difference in conditions' policy.

This would enable lawyers to buy a policy to cover them for the differences between their home policies and those of other member states.

Michael Seymour, a partner specialising in professional negligence at City firm Lovells, said: 'This is of interest to firms like us.

In some jurisdictions you do need cover under the local scheme and you have to buy that cover in the local jurisdiction.

But in most of Europe there is not a big culture of claims against lawyers, so the cover required is usually much lower.

'This means we take out the compulsory cover and then top up the firm's policy using London-based policies.'

Jeremy Fleming