Biography

Edward Smerdon is the managing partner of Sedgwick’s London office. He is recognised as a leading lawyer in insurance and reinsurance, including coverage disputes, non-contentious product development, and transactional work. – His particular emphasis is on liability insurance / reinsurance, where he has developed a market leading role in the field of Directors & Officers liability, financial institutions, pharmaceutical product liability insurance, and casualty, in particular CGL and Umbrella insurance and reinsurance. Nearly all of his work is international related, involving coverage problems in five continents. Mr Smerdon mainly acts for London and Bermuda insurance markets, but also for some major international companies who need advice on their insurance programmes. He has become a leading authority on the interaction between D&O insurance and indemnification.

Memberships & Honors

Edward Smerdon has received directory recommendations in Chambers UK for his “free-thinking, problem solving approach and in depth market knowledge”. In insurance and professional liability, he is ranked as one of the Leading Individuals. Directories also describe him as an expert in insurance and reinsurance and a leading figure in D&O liability. The 2009 edition of Legal 500 observes that Edward Smerdon is an ‘acknowledged market leader’ in insurance and reinsurance litigation.

Publications and Presentations

• “Move Over Subprime! The Latest Developments in the Libor Scandal and the Exposure Presented to U.S. and European Financial Institutions,” co- presented at Sedgwick’s Tenth Annual Hot Topics Seminar for the Bermuda Insurance Market, Hamilton, Bermuda (October 3, 2012).
• “Even Offshore Fund Directors Can Get The Blues” co-author, Insurance Day (15 December 2011).
• Mr Smerdon is the consulting editor of the leading text book “Directors’ Liability and Indemnification ― a Global Guide” (Globe). He was a contributor to “A Practical Guide to Corporate Governance” (Sweet & Maxwell).
• “The Weavering Judgment: A Wake-Up Call for Fund Directors,” co-author, Sedgwick publication (October 2011).
• "Anti-Corruption Investigations and Enforcement: The Reach of the US FCPA and the Impact of the UK Bribery Act on D&O Liability," C5 D&O Liability Insurance Conference, London, England (March 23, 2011).