Tobin Ashby

Partner | London, United Kingdom
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Profile

Tobin is head of our insurance transactions and advisory practice, specialising in insurance regulatory and commercial advice, as well as general commercial matters. He advises particularly on insurance regulation (including complex regulatory issues, authorisations and cross-border matters) and transactions, business transfers, distribution arrangements, outsourcing agreements and product terms and governance. He qualified in England and Wales in 1999 and has over 22 years’ experience in financial services, including spending 10 years working in-house for a global insurance group.

Tobin has extensive experience of advising insurers, brokers and other intermediaries, mutuals, Insurtechs and investment platform providers on their products and services, regulatory issues, distribution and commercial arrangements, transactions and strategic transformation projects. He has a particularly good understanding of clients’ business requirements from his time as a senior in-house lawyer, which he uses to provide focused and pragmatic advice and solutions.

Tobin is on the City of London Law Society Insurance Law Committee and is a member of the Distribution Practice Group of ILAG (the Investment & Life Assurance Group).

Qualifications

  • Qualified in England and Wales in 1999.

Related articles

Report

Fostering innovation in insurance: exploring the potential of insurtech

27/11/2023

Article

Urgent steps insurers must take to comply with the FCA’s Consumer Duty

05/07/2023

Report

Insurance forecast 2023: claims trends and future risks

30/01/2023

View more

Market recognition

  • Leading Individual and recommended lawyer for 'Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory (London)'
    The Legal 500 UK 2024
  • Leading Individual for 'Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory (London)'
    The Legal 500 UK 2023
  • Leading Individual for 'Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory (London)'
    The Legal 500 UK 2022
  • Leading Individual for ‘Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory (London)'
    The Legal 500 UK 2021

Awards

Work highlights

  • Advised a consumer insurer on dealing with a detailed FCA investigation of unfair policy terms and helping reach a successful outcome with the regulator.
  • Advised a wholesale MGA on satisfying its voluntary requirements with the FCA and on the steps and agreements necessary for the successful removal of the regulator’s requirements.
  • Drafted and negotiated a strategic introducer and cooperation agreement for a UK pet insurer to appoint a UK-wide group to distribute its insurance as an introducer appointed representative. 
  • Advised a London market insurer on delegated underwriting and claims material outsourcing arrangements with an intermediary group, including negotiating and drafting agreements and advising on its co-insurer arrangements and regulatory matters.
  • Providing and co-ordinating regulatory advice in a project for a branch of a global insurer across 40+ jurisdictions on non-admitted (re)insurance and related issues for general insurance products.
  • Advised a Friendly Society insurer on its IT outsourcing agreements including negotiating and drafting on the material contracts.
  • Advised a flagship airline on a strategic in-purchase insurance distribution partnership with a travel insurer for the UK and EU.
  • Advised an international bank in relation to the reinsurance and retrocession arrangements for a funding guarantee for reinsurance of war risks for movable goods.
  • Drafted template insurance distribution agreements, introducer appointed representative agreements and claims outsourcing agreements for a range of insurers and markets. 
  • Advising regularly on the application of the UK regulatory perimeter to non-UK insurers, including in the context of FCA investigation, and supporting insurer and intermediary clients on establishment requirements in the UK.
  • Advising a multi-national insurer on the UK insurance categorisation of risk and investment participation contracts and related contractual issues.
  • Providing a managed legal and compliance support service as an extension of the in-house team of a Lloyd’s managing agent including on a range of regulatory, governance, distribution, complaints and commercial matters.
  • Advised a Friendly Society insurer on a strategically-important bid for a potential transformational acquisition and transfer of a book of policies.
  • Advised a UK mutual insurer on a delegated claims fulfilment and cyber services outsourcing arrangement relating to HNW policies.

Services

Sectors