News Releases

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operations of the ACE Group, today announced that it has expanded its International Advantage® product to offer enhanced coverages for the unique risks faced by professional services employees doing business overseas. Three comprehensive foreign package offerings designed for accountants & lawyers, business consultants, and architects & engineers are designed to provide coverage for companies operating globally in the professional services arena.

According to “The Business of Architecture Report,” a survey conducted by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), international work -- defined as billings from outside the United States, for either international or U.S. clients, and as inside the United States for international clients -- has almost tripled over the last decade.¹ ACE believes that this increase is the result of more contract work performed overseas, which can impact U.S.-based companies. This is because their employees traveling outside of the United States face unique risks not typically covered by their domestic company’s insurance program.

Those risks include, but are not limited to:

• Lawsuits brought against the company inside or outside of the United States, related to employee activities while traveling
• Injuries to employees occurring overseas while on the job, or while traveling on behalf of the company
• Medical-related incidents, including arrangements for prescription replacements, medical expenses related to the sudden onset of sickness, and emergency medical evacuation/repatriation services

The ACE USA International Advantage product is an ideal solution for insuring the risks of emerging- to middle-market professional services firms. The Advantage policy package offers a number of coverages needed by firms operating overseas, including general liability, contingent auto, voluntary workers compensation, kidnap & extortion, international AD&D (including medical), and executive assistance services.

ACE’s newly-enhanced coverages for professional services firms bring the Advantage policy to another level. The enhancements focus on adding property coverage grants, (including coverage for architectural models and blueprints, law libraries, and other research materials, taken overseas), as well as any other specialized equipment used abroad by professional services firms. The new policy forms also add certain endorsements on a standard basis, and these include blanket additional insured, waiver of subrogation when required by contract, and providing a care, custody, and control extension to general liability.

“The globalization of industry and commerce has resulted in more companies planting flags on foreign shores, and the number of professional services employees traveling to these locations on temporary work assignments or for more long-term employment has increased,” said Tim Benson, Senior Vice President, ACE Multinational Client Group. “In the architectural profession, for example, firms reported seven percent of total billings originating from international work, compared with just 2.8 percent ten years ago, and six percent in 2005.” ²

These enhanced coverages, combined with the ability to coordinate the issuance of locally admitted policies across the entire ACE global network, allow ACE USA to offer an ideal insurance product -- for risks ranging from simple trip travel exposures -- to complex, multinational exposures faced by professional services firms.

“We’ve designed a program that makes coverage for overseas exposures more readily available to customers, while providing our brokers with an attractive, easy-to-use package,” said Bryan Tedford, Senior Vice President, ACE USA Foreign Casualty. “Our new ACE International Advantage Edge suite of products provides multinational customers with simplified, central control and consistent protection around the world.”

ACE’s international casualty product suite offers insurance solutions for U.S.-based companies and organizations that have operations or employees who travel outside the U.S. Offerings range from simple package policies to complex multinational programs with sophisticated risk transfer options. For more information about these products, including ACE Accountants & Lawyers International Advantage® Edge, The ACE Business Consultants International Advantage® Edge, and The ACE Architects & Engineers International Advantage® Edge, please visit our website or contact Tim Benson at timothy.benson@acegroup.com or 302-476-6343.

Insurance is provided by insurance companies within the ACE Group. All products may not be available in all jurisdictions. The product information above is a summary only. The insurance policy actually issued contains the terms and limits of the contract. ACE Foreign Casualty, a division of ACE USA, specializes in providing international casualty insurance programs for exposures outside the U.S., including specialty products for small, mid-sized and large U.S.-based companies, non-profits and educational institutions.

ACE USA is the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group, and is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company and AA- (Very Strong) by Standard & Poor’s. ACE USA, through its underwriting companies, provides insurance products and services throughout the U.S. Additional information on ACE USA and its products and services can be found at http://www.acegroup.com/us. The ACE Group is one of the world’s largest multiline property and casualty insurers. With operations in 53 countries, ACE provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. ACE Limited, the parent company of the ACE Group, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACE) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Additional information can be found at:www.acegroup.com

¹ The Business of Architecture: An AIA Survey Report on Firm Characteristics. American Institute of Architects, 2009.
http://info.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek09/1009/1009b_firmsurvey.cfm.

² Foreign Travel Risk and Response, Frank D’Ancona and James Walloga, the ACE Group. 2010.http://www.acegroup.com/us-en/news-room/progress-reports.aspx.