In Brief

Lords decide on Dimond v Lovell
A decision is expected by the House of Lords today (Thursday) in the Dimond v Lovell credit hire case. Helphire legal director Peter Holding said the law lords' decision was too close to call. The case, which has tied up around 50,000 similar credit hire cases in the courts system has been postponed since April.

New Hotline for building claims
Inter Partner Assistance has teamed up with Home Service, part of the Staffordshire Group, to launch an emergency building service operation, Home Hotline, to handle claims under plumbing, electrical and gas home emergency and breakdown assistance policies.

Home Hotline's call centre will be in Preston and will manage claims via a nationwide network of 1,600 tradesmen.

Churchill scores hattrick
Insurer Churchill has won three awards in the Your Money Direct magazine awards 2000 – Best Internet Motor Insurance Provider, Best Direct Motor Insurance Provider, and Best Internet Home & Contents Insurance Provider.

Entries were shortlisted on price and were judged by a panel of readers on quality of service.

CE&B buy out US partner
Loss adjusters Cunningham Ellis & Buckle has bought the outstanding 50% share in the managed contractor network company Property Solutions from its US partner, Property Claims Solutions. The US company said it wanted to concentrate on its domestic market. Property Solutions was established two years ago to reduce the cost of building repairs in the UK using an estimating software package.

Trinity gets nominal change
Trinity Syndicates, which was acquired by a consortium led by CBS Insurance at the end of 1999, has changed its name to Abacus Syndicates. The operation's service company also has a new name, Abacus Underwriting Agencies. Abacus manages liability syndicate 2525 and has moved to new offices on the sixth floor at 37-39 Lime St.

Career focus
If you are 35 or under and a rising star in the insurance arena, you may have sent your details to Insurance Times for our weekly career ladder. However, if you have not appeared yet, you were probably the victim of a slight technical hitch – not the Iloveyou virus – which caused our file to disappear. If you wish to participate, contact Alison Boyle at alison@instimes.co.uk

Towry Law gets into martial arts
Brokers Towry Law has acquired brokers Guthrie Herrington and Co in a deal worth up to £450,000. Guthrie Herrington, which specialises in martial arts cover, had a premium income of £5m in 1999. The purchase follows Towry Law's recent acquisitions of independent financial services Advizas and independent financial advisers Hambro Fraser Smith.

Lawclub move to meet growth
Bristol-based Lawclub Legal Protection, a division of Cornhill Insurance has moved its headquarters to Bradley Stoke. The move came about to meet the company's growth plans. Its new address is Redwood House, Brotherswood Court, Great Park Road, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32 4QW.

Rickson do a northern shuffle
North West law firm Peter Rickson & Partners has opened an office in Leeds. It will be headed by partner Richard Parker, who is joined by partner Helen Lawson who was previously with Nelson & Co. Former James Chapman partner Simon Mather replaces Parker in the Manchester office.

AXA update
Art insurers AXA Nordstern, a subsidiary of Axa, reports a 15% rise in premium income in 1999 to £6m compared to 1998 after freezing rates. The insurer also announces a campaign to re-establish itself nationwide. It has recently appointed four new underwriting staff.

Leisure craft rates frozen
Insurers Douglas Cox Tyrie is freezing its rates for DCT RIBS and DCT Dinghy policies this summer. Both schemes offer 24-hour roadside rescue and recovery while in transit with the leisure craft, 24-hour emergency medical transfer within the UK, and a 24-hour information hotline providing details of sales and repair outlets throughout the UK, as well as route planning and hotel, traffic and weather information.

NU go online
Norwich Union Risk Services is providing advice on health, safety and environmental issues online. The website is aimed at keeping clients up to date with developments in legislation and good management practice. It gives details of specialised services and products available from NURS, including training courses. The site can be found at www.nu-riskservices.co.uk