Certainly, clubs will seek to provide additional services to shipowners - if shipowners want them. If group clubs demutualise and convert to fixed premium facilities, they cease to be members of the pool, sharing claims and the group's reinsurance facilities. They then end up with something which is of less value than the group's product, because the commercial equivalent cannot reinsure so comprehensively. The resilience of the International Group has already been demonstrated during the tough economic climate of the 80s and 90s, throughout the EC review, and against a number of imitators. The West of England deals with lawyers from all over the world.
Lawyers are essential to the execution of the club's business.
Inevitably, standards vary. Peter's criteria for choosing a lawyer is to look at what kind of lawyer the club wants, from what firm and from what jurisdiction, before starting the clock ticking on behalf of a member. We are not in the business of litigation. It is a last resort for us, an admission of failure even. We are looking for commercially minded layers who are themselves looking for commercially realistic solutions.