Financial and Legal Insurance have left the Association of British Insurers (ABI) after deciding the trade body did not support standalone legal expenses insurers on the Jackson review.

Insurance Times has learnt that the firm resigned with effect from 30 June after a board decision on the issue.

Financial and Legal general manager Mike Timmons said: “We can no longer support an organisation that is working against our business interests.”

He added that the ABI is sidelining the views of dedicated legal expenses insurers, and was instead supporting the views of the larger insurers with legal expenses arms.

“I don’t believe the ABI can now portray itself as representative of the legal expenses market to the government,” Timmons said.

The resignation of Financial and Legal follows the recent departure of Elite Insurance from the ABI.

DAS resigned from the ABI last year over the issue.

An ABI spokesman said: "We consulted with the board widely on this, and it was felt that the stance that we took widely reflected the views of the ABI board.

"There will be issues that arise sometimes where we have to reconcile different commercial views on a situation, which we will try to do to the best of our ability."