Marsh settles £85 million Stonegate COVID BI case

By Rebecca Delaney Oct 13 (The Insurer) — Marsh has settled an £85 million ($110 million) professional negligence suit brought by subsidiaries of Stonegate Pub Company over business interruption insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a court order published on October 2. The order relates to a professional negligence suit that 20 Stonegate subsidiaries filed against Marsh in the High Court of England and Wales in April 2025. According to the order, all further proceedings in the action will be stayed upon the terms set out in a confidential settlement agreement dated September 23. The £2.37 million held in the Court Funds Office as security for Marsh's costs will be released back to the claimants. Claimants include Barley Pub Company, Slug and Lettuce Company and Be At One Ltd. They alleged in court filings in late 2025 that ​Marsh had negligently arranged an insurance policy that left ​209 of 750 bars and pubs without any business interruption insurance by incorrectly naming the insured party on the policy, meaning that only ​parent company Stonegate was insured and not its ​subsidiaries. Marsh denied negligence in its defence filed in late January this year, arguing