When you trade or invest across borders, your balance sheet is at risk. In commodities, where pre-payment is common as a means of financing production and guaranteeing long-term supply, non-payment or non-delivery can have a devastating commercial effect. We help you protect yourself against these sorts of risks with our political and credit risk insurance team.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Political and Credit Risks

Get in touch (opens a new window)

We focus on the risks associated with cross-border trades and investments

When you trade or invest across borders, your balance sheet is at risk. In commodities, where pre-payment is common as a means of financing production and guaranteeing long-term supply, non-payment or non-delivery can have a devastating commercial effect. We help you protect yourself against these sorts of risks.

We also help you manage political risk. Foreign government actions like war, trade embargoes and expropriation can affect your bottom line, costing you tens or hundreds of millions. They can even cause you to write off your investment completely. The longer your trade or investment agreement, the greater the uncertainty – and the more you need cover.

We arrange insurance coverage that protects you against political and counterparty risks in trade transactions. We work with commodity traders and the banks that finance them, as well as with equity investors who have subsidiaries or physical assets abroad. Clients include the leading banks, construction companies, international commodities traders,  industrial companies, miners, oil producers and exporters.

What we cover

We’re more than an insurance broker – we’re a partner helping you protect your balance sheet.   We investigate the insurance market to find counterparties who’ll take on your political and trade credit risks at a premium you’re comfortable with.

We’ll advocate for you and negotiate hard on your behalf. As well as this, we’ll:

  • Analyse your risk and identify areas where a government action may threaten your investment

  • Study your contracts and recommend changes if needed to make them insurable

  • Suggest ways to structure your risk to reassure underwriters, such as obtaining collateral or guaranties

  • Get underwriters more closely involved with you and your risk to develop a true partnership

  • Advise you on the best way to manage your risk, not just the best insurance to buy

Our Political & Credit Risk Insurance Team

Placeholder image

David Coupland

Senior Vice President
david.coupland@lockton.com
+44 207 933 2445

Placeholder image

Chris Wetherell

Head of FPR Europe Specialty
chris.wetherell@lockton.com
+44 207 933 2658

Placeholder image

James Gearing

Producer Europe Specialty
james.gearing@lockton.com
+44 207 933 1479

News and Insights

Conversations about legacy can feel uncomfortable, but they are essential. Artists should begin discussing their estate – with both family members and experienced professionals – as early as possible to ensure a smooth transition. To build a robust legacy, the core elements of an estate must be assessed, including key insurance considerations. 
Making a successful transition from artist to artist’s estate

What is Professional Indemnity Insurance?

Every professional knows the feeling: a client pushing for tighter deadlines, the contract that’s just a little too heavy handed, or the nagging worry that a small oversight today could snowball into a costly dispute tomorrow. Even the most diligent work can be challenged – whether through allegations of negligence, contractual penalties, or claims that stretch far beyond what you thought you’d agreed.

That’s where Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) comes in. It acts as a safety net, stepping in when mistakes, misunderstandings, or disputes threaten to become financial or reputational crises. Whether protecting against defending spurious claims, or covering genuine errors, PII gives you the confidence to focus on your work.

Below, we unpack how PII works in practice: including the scope of cover, exclusions, defence costs, and the important question of limits and excesses.Every professional knows the feeling: a client pushing for tighter deadlines, the contract that’s just a little too heavy handed, or the nagging worry that a small oversight today could snowball into a costly dispute tomorrow. Even the most diligent work can be challenged – whether through allegations of negligence, contractual penalties, or claims that stretch far beyond what you thought you’d agreed.

That’s where Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) comes in. It acts as a safety net, stepping in when mistakes, misunderstandings, or disputes threaten to become financial or reputational crises. Whether protecting against defending spurious claims, or covering genuine errors, PII gives you the confidence to focus on your work.

Below, we unpack how PII works in practice: including the scope of cover, exclusions, defence costs, and the important question of limits and excesses.

Insurance for fintech start-ups made easy

Fintech is a fast moving, creative and transformational industry. Founders of start-ups enter the market with the goal of solving problems and simplifying financial transactions, in turn helping millions of businesses and consumers across the world. However, for new start-up companies, shifting from the technological landscape to navigating the world of insurance can often seem like a daunting experience. 
Fintech is a fast moving, creative and transformational industry. Founders of start-ups enter the market with the goal of solving problems and simplifying financial transactions, in turn helping millions of businesses and consumers across the world. However, for new start-up companies, shifting from the technological landscape to navigating the world of insurance can often seem like a daunting experience.

The Lockton Marine Podcast - Episode 10

In this episode of the Lockton Marine Podcast, we explore the insurance implications of a GPS interference event onboard a vessel. Anders L. Johannessen talks with Morten Mjaaland, Cyber Product Manager at DNK and Nic Wilmot from Lockton about what coverage is available under standard policies, what specialist solutions should be considered, and what claims handling expertise should be expected from insurers dealing with such incidents.In this episode of the Lockton Marine Podcast, we explore the insurance implications of a GPS interference event onboard a vessel. Anders L. Johannessen talks with Morten Mjaaland, Cyber Product Manager at DNK and Nic Wilmot from Lockton about what coverage is available under standard policies, what specialist solutions should be considered, and what claims handling expertise should be expected from insurers dealing with such incidents.
See all news and insights

We're here to help

We bring creative thinking and an entrepreneurial spirit to the insurance business and are uniquely positioned to help you succeed.

Talk to our team
culture-quote-tiernan