New Owner for Leading Claims Specialist Thompson & Bryan

Press Release: London, 15 April, 2013

Leading claims specialist Thompson & Bryan has been acquired by market expert Paul Lawrence, it was announced today.

Thompson & Bryan was established in 1867 and is widely acknowledged as being the leader in the claims industry when it comes to working with insurance brokers and their customers to ensure that claims are prepared correctly and settled in a fair and fuss-free way.

Following an intractable Pension deficit the business went into administration last week and the intellectual property and work in progress has been acquired by Paul.

With the continued recession and soft market, many insurers have been tightening their belts and looking to minimise the amount they are prepared to pay. There has never been a greater need for the client to have a professional working on their behalf to ensure a fair outcome for all parties.

Thompson & Bryan had established themselves as true experts, particularly in areas such as business interruption which can be a minefield for brokers and clients alike. They have a reputation for being fair and thoughtful in their dealings with insurers. For many insurers and their adjusters, Thompson & Bryan is seen as the acceptable face of client claim.

Paul Lawrence has more than 30 years experience in the claims industry and is highly respected by brokers and insurers alike.

John Sims, former CEO at Lorega Limited said: “This is an ideal acquisition for Paul. Thompson & Bryan is highly professional and has a great brand name with brokers and Paul is simply the best in the market; I can only see the business going from strength to strength with Paul at the helm.”

Paul Lawrence said: “This was an opportunity I simply couldn’t turn down. This is a great business and a trusted brand that simply got into some unforeseen financial difficulties. There will need to be some changes to the structure of the business but moving forward the picture is all very positive.

“Our service charter will see us using qualified adjusters, charted accountants and other top professionals as required. I have always put the client and broker first and lived for great service, this will be our ethos. Every loss will be treated as the most important claim we have ever handled regardless of how big or small it might be. I am incredibly excited about this new dawn in the history of such a great company as Thompson & Bryan.’

For further information please contact:
Paul Lawrence
Tel : +44 (0)7941 111920
E-mail : paul-lawrence@thompsonandbryan.com


Notes to Editors

About Thompson and Bryan

J.G.Thompson & Co, the forerunner of Thompson & Bryan Limited, was founded by James Grafton Thompson in 1867. In its steady growth throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Company gradually expanded from a small office in Nottingham to the international organisation it has become today.

Thompson & Bryan had grown sufficiently to become heavily involved during the Second World War in the assessment and settlement of extensive bomb damage claims under the guidelines of the War Damage Commission. The overspill of work continued until well into the 1950s.

Thompson & Bryan’s versatile and expert services again became in great demand during the 1970s and 1980s in the assessment of bomb damage to property in Northern Ireland, dealing with the Compensation Agency to secure financial settlement on behalf of the applicants who suffered damage.

The Thompson & Bryan group of companies provides an unrivalled 24 hour service operating from seven major cities throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. In spite of its expansion over the years, the group has never lost sight of the James Grafton Thompson tradition for providing the utmost in professional and personal service.

About Paul Lawrence

Paul has been a claims specialist working on behalf of customers for more than 30 years. He was originally part of the Harris group which later became Harris Balcombe. Paul left Harris Balcombe to set up his own adjusting and advocacy business, Commercial Claims Solutions. Paul deals with losses all over the world and is highly regarded by the broker market for his diligence and the ability to get a fair settlement for the client by working closely and thoughtfully with insurers and their loss adjusters.