Linklaters taps CMS partner for insurance push in London

Linklaters has hired CMS partner Owen Ross to bolster its insurance practice in London, as firms continue to chase a surge in complex, capital-driven work across the sector.

Ross joins from CMS, where he was a partner in the financial services team specialising in insurance. His practice includes M&A and reinsurance, with a growing focus on the interaction between UK insurers, asset managers and private capital investors.

He has also worked extensively on developments in the pensions space, including defined benefit and defined contribution arrangements, and the increasing role of insurers in pension risk transfer deals.

‘Sustained activity’

Linklaters said his appointment comes at a time of sustained activity across the global insurance market, particularly in areas where regulatory complexity and capital flows intersect.

Simon Branigan, global head of corporate at Linklaters, said: “Owen’s arrival will strengthen our global insurance team at a time of significant and sustained activity in the sector.”

Private capital focus

Ross’s hire reflects a broader shift in the insurance market, where private capital is playing an increasingly prominent role. Insurers are continuing to partner with asset managers and alternative investors, particularly in life insurance and pensions-related transactions.

Branigan said: “The insurance industry is generating a growing pipeline of high-end, cross-border and complex work, particularly in UK life, the asset management-insurer nexus, pensions de-risking and reinsurance.”

The race for talent

The move is the latest in a string of insurance-focused lateral hires across the City, as firms respond to a buoyant pipeline of work.

Pinsent Masons recently hired Travers Smith pensions head Susie Daykin in London, while Simmons & Simmons hired DLA Piper’s Amrit Mclean as global head of pensions de-risking in October, bringing a four-lawyer team with her amid a surge in pension risk transfer mandates.