Lloyd’s began over 300 years ago in Edward Lloyd’s coffee house – a place where ship owners could meet people with the capital to insure them.
Since then, Lloyd’s has developed from its marine heritage to become the world’s leading market for specialist property and casualty insurance, offering a unique concentration of expertise and talent, backed by strong financial ratings that cover the whole market.
Like any dynamic, innovative market, it allows those with something to sell (underwriters providing insurance coverage) to make contact with those who want to buy (brokers, working on behalf of clients seeking insurance).
Lloyd’s remains a place where business is conducted face-to-face. The Underwriting Room is central to the smooth running of our subscription market, which is a key part of the Lloyd’s business model as many large or specialist risks are written by more than one syndicate.