David Whear is a corporate and regulatory insurance lawyer based in London. David joined the London practice as a partner in 2003. He was previously a partner at another international law firm for six years. David studied Commerce at Birmingham University before studying law at Nottingham Law School.

David’s experience covers mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, capital raising (debt and equity), restructurings, start-ups and joint ventures. In addition to advising on domestic and global corporate and regulatory issues, he has particular expertise in the Lloyd’s market.

David has advised on a number of high profile transactions in the insurance market including: the sales of Cathedral Capital and the Atrium Group; the recommended takeover of Chaucer by The Hanover Group; the disposal of Swiftcover to AXA; and the first European merger of insurance companies under the Cross Border Merger Regulations. David has also advised on numerous Lloyd’s start-ups.

David is regularly recommended in legal directories which note his ability to ensure a “high and consistent standard of service” and that he has an “extremely measured style and all-encompassing understanding of the area” and is a practitioner who “commands respect as a collaborative and solution-seeking lawyer”. Chambers UK 2013 note that he is well-regarded for his command of the Lloyd's market, with one client remarking: “He's probably at the top of the practice in terms of Lloyd's.” Another appreciative client states: “From a market intelligence point of view he's got his finger on the pulse.”

David has been a member of a number of Solvency II working groups including the ABI Legal Group, City of London Law Society and ARC (now the Insurance & Reinsurance Legacy Association).

David is a regular speaker at industry seminars.

David contributed to A Practitioner’s Guide to The FSA Regulation of Lloyd’s and The Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents 16(3) Financial Services. David recently co-authored a chapter on “Closing books of business” in Research Handbook on International Insurance Law and Regulation, published by Edward Elgar.