RPC

James Mee is an award-winning transactional lawyer who has been instrumental in driving RPC's transactions business since joining from a magic circle firm in 2004. Awarded a Corporate Team of the Year accolade from the Lawyer in 2012 for a multi-billion pound sector transformational consumer products transaction, he has been shortlisted for deal awards in each of 2017, 2019 and 2021. He is a leading individual / recognised in all of the major legal directories for transactional work and sector knowledge and is an Acritas Star following recommendations by clients. Following on from the 2012 deal and award, James established and then led RPC's transactional insurance sector business.  This has gone from strength to strength and is now widely regarded as one of the City's leading legal practices in this highly dynamic sector. In addition to being an active deal do-er in the insurance and wider financial services sectors (leading more than 20 transactions in each of 2020 and 2021), James acts for corporates, private equity and other investors and management teams in a range of sectors, including in recent years the retail and consumer products, tech and data, and sports and leisure sectors. Aligned to his role at RPC, James is a commentator on transactional and market issues, a panellist at industry events and roundtables, and was one of the two external lawyers asked to assist the London Market Group's Brexit Working Party. James previously sat on the Board of RPC Tyche, the insurance software business RPC recently sold to global professional services firm Aon. James was selected for The Lawyer's Hot 100 in 2014 for his transactional work and his focus on driving inclusion and diversity change for the better in the legal industry. From 2017 to 2020, James was Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Insurance Network (Link), that won a Queen's Award in the The Queen's 2019 Birthday Honours. James is currently Chair of the Board of Governors at the English National Ballet School.

Partner

A partner in RPC’s transactional and regulatory insurance team, William has over 15 years’ experience advising clients and investors in the life and general insurance market on a full spectrum of transactional, reinsurance, commercial and regulatory matters. William supports insurer, reinsurer, intermediary and investor clients on a range of corporate transactions and has particular expertise assisting clients with reinsurance arrangements, including legacy market transactions. His life insurance experience includes advising insurer and trustee clients on bulk annuity and other longevity risk transactions.  He also advises clients on commercial, underwriting and distribution arrangements and has significant experience guiding clients through the myriad of insurance prudential and conduct regulations, as well as Lloyd’s of London-related matters. His work highlights include: Advising insurer and legacy market reinsurer clients on numerous successful legacy reinsurance transactions, including LPT, XoL, ADC and RITC structures, and connected collateral arrangements. William has also acted for clients acquiring legacy captive insurers and transferring insurance portfolios under Part VII of FSMA. Assisting a number of MGA, insurer and reinsurer clients with the development and distribution of new and innovative insurance and reinsurance products and structures, including parametric insurance, life insurance ISAs and captive insurance structures. Advising a large European life insurer on the reinsurance arrangements linked to its issue of an innovative mortality-linked catastrophe bond designed to protect the insurer against the impact of global pandemics. Advising a large global insurer on its internal and captive group reinsurance covers and associated premium and claims allocation arrangements. Advising a number of UK and overseas insurers on various intra-group and third party reinsurance arrangements, including quota shares, adverse development covers and excess of loss reinsurance arrangements. Supporting a UK insurer client with understanding the PRA’s regulatory expectations in respect of climate change, providing an assessment of their current progress towards compliance and making recommendations for actions to take in order to meet the PRA’s climate change expectations. Acting for the management team of a new challenger broker, including advising them on a significant investment from a US private equity firm, its regulatory establishment and operational arrangements, and a large renewal rights acquisition with associated employee transfer. Advising a number of UK and international insurers on acquisitions of, investments in and sales of various MGA platforms and Lloyd’s businesses. Advising a number of life insurers in relation to bulk annuity buy-in/out transactions, including through the use of fronting arrangements and captive (re)insurers.