Charles G.R. Collis

Director, Head of Bermuda Corporate Practice

Bermuda | T +1 441 299 4918
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Charles Collis is a Director in the Corporate department in the Bermuda office of Conyers Dill & Pearman and is Head of the Bermuda Corporate Practice. Charles joined Conyers in 1990 and became a partner in 1998.

Charles specialises in insurance and reinsurance, advising on corporate and regulatory matters. Charles has advised on the establishment of numerous captive insurance companies, as well as commercial reinsurance companies. The convergence of the insurance markets and capital markets has led Charles to specialise in insurance linked securities. He has conducted a significant number of insurance securitisations and transformation transactions using special purpose vehicles, traditional reinsurance companies and segregated account companies.

Charles does a broad range of corporate and regulatory work for insurance and reinsurance companies. For over thirty years he has advised insurance clients on their incorporation and licensing, capital raising, regulatory requirements, IPO’s and merger and acquisition activity. Charles has been at the forefront of legislative enhancements in Bermuda throughout his career. He structured and drafted many of the Segregated Account Private Acts used in the early years of Segregated Accounts. He also developed and drafted numerous amendments to the Insurance Act including amendments enabling life insurers to write funding agreements and creating the Special Purpose Insurer which is the vehicle that has allowed the Insurance Linked Security industry to flourish in Bermuda.

Charles is ranked Band 1 by Chambers – Insurance – Bermuda.

Jurisdiction

Experience

  • Acted for Conduit Holdings Limited on its IPO on the London Stock Exchange and the establishment of its Class 4 reinsurance subsidiary Conduit Re
  • Advised the Carlyle Group on its acquisition of a majority stake in Fortitude Group Holdings, which holds the Bermuda registered Class 4 and Class E insurer, Fortitude Reinsurance Company Ltd. (“Fortitude Re”) from AI
  • Advised FloodSmart Re Ltd, the first catastrophe bond sponsored by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide reinsurance protection to the National Flood Insurance Program.
  • Advised Apollo Global Management LLC, New York Stock Exchange listed investment firm, on its acquisition of Aspen Insurance Holdings.
  • Advised Athene Holdings Ltd on its US$1.1 billion IPO on the New York Stock Exchange

Qualifications

Education

  • University College, London UK, LLB, 1988
  • University of Toronto, B.A. (Hons), 1984

Bar Admissions

  • British Virgin Islands, 2011
  • Bermuda, 1991
  • England & Wales, Barrister, 1989 (not currently practising)

Awards & Accolades

  • Recognised in the 2021 edition (since 2018 and 2011) of Legal 500 Caribbean (insurance)
  • Recognised in the 2021 edition (and since 2017) of Chambers Global (insurance – Band 1)
  • Recognised in the 2017 edition of Legal 500 Caribbean (corporate and commercial)
  • Recognised in the 2016 edition (and since 2011) of Chambers Global (corporate and insurance)
  • Recognised in the 2016 edition (and since 2013) of Legal 500 (offshore law)
  • Recognised in the 2015 edition of Legal Media Groups’ Expert Guides (insurance and reinsurance)

Associations

  • Former Director, Bermuda Monetary Authority
  • Member, Insurance Advisory Committee