Charles G.R. Collis

Charles Collis is a Director in the Corporate department in the Bermuda office of Conyers Dill & Pearman and is Head of the Bermuda Insurance 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.

Experience Highlights

• Acted as Bermuda deal counsel in the sale of the Arden group’s Lloyd’s underwriting platform, Atrium Underwriting Group Ltd., and their Bermuda reinsurance operations, Arden Reinsurance Company Ltd., to the Enstar group. Also acted for Enstar in establishing the joint venture vehicle used to effect the acquisition with its joint venture partners.
• Acted as Bermuda Counsel to Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited in the acquisition of Bermuda incorporated, NYSE listed American Safety Insurance Holdings, Ltd. through a Bermuda incorporated merger company, followed by the sale of various Bermuda subsidiaries to a third party.
• Advised on the formation, licensing and listing on the Bermuda Stock Exchange of a new cat bond special purpose insurer vehicle sponsored by Zurich Insurance Co. Ltd. and Zurich American Insurance (as cedants) and arranged by Munich Re Capital Markets and Swiss Re Capital Markets. Instructions also involved the formation of a Bermuda purpose trust as the shareholder of Lakeside and matters related thereto.
• Advised on the establishment of VenTerra Re Ltd., established as a Special Purpose Insurer for the purpose of facilitating a program of “cat bond” transactions with QBE Insurance Group Limited and its affiliates. Notes in the amount of USD$250 million were listed on the BSX. VenTerra Re was notable for being the first cat bond to cover Australian catastrophe risk.
• Advised on the formation of Third Point Reinsurance Company Ltd. (“Third Point Re” or the “Company”), a Bermuda based, specialty property and casualty reinsurer. Since its inception, the Group has raised over $785 million in capital. The establishment of the Bermuda-domiciled Group is a strong indicator of the market’s continued confidence in Bermuda as a world-class insurance jurisdiction.

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)

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