RSA has been granted an ABS (Alternative Business Structure) licence by the UK’s legal regulator. It has obtained this by teaming up with Parabis which calls itself ‘an end-to-end legal and professional services organisation delivering a wide range of services to the insurance, travel and related sectors’. 

Customer-facing

Parabis is already working in similar  operations with two other insurers - Direct Line, Europe’s 42nd largest insurer and Saga, the specialist organisation for the over 50s. An RSA spokesperson said: ‘We are creating RSA Law to support our customers who have a genuine need for a seamless high quality claims and legal service.’ Tim Roberts, group commercial director of Paribas, said: ‘This is another exciting development underlining the significant role that insurers are playing in customer-facing legal services provision in this country.’

Cardiff

Ageas UK - the UK arm of Europe’s 22nd largest insurer, the Belgian business Ageas - entered the legal services market two years ago through an ABS formed in conjunction with  NewLaw Solicitors in the Welsh capital of Cardiff. Sources: The Lawyer, Relbanks and Relbanks