Banyan Risk Ltd has expanded its casualty underwriting platform into the United States excess and surplus market, with capacity provided by Accredited Specialty Insurance Company.
A spokesperson said, “Banyan Risk Ltd [Banyan Risk], the specialty Managing General Agent [MGA], has announced the expansion of its Casualty platform into the United States excess and surplus [E&S] market. Insurance capacity will be provided by Accredited Specialty Insurance Company, part of Accredited America.
“The new E&S offering will be led by Alan Rodrigues, Chief Executive Officer of Global Casualty, and will support Banyan’s continued build-out of a dedicated US casualty underwriting team.
“The expansion extends a casualty franchise Banyan has been building since 2024, when Mr. Rodrigues joined the business to establish its Bermuda Excess Liability operation. Banyan intends to hire additional experienced casualty underwriters across the US as it broadens distribution, product capability and geographic reach.”
“For the last five years, we have deliberately invested in building the chassis of Banyan before trying to maximize scale,” said Tim Usher-Jones, co-CEO of Banyan Risk. “We have built out the underwriting leadership, operating infrastructure, technology, data, controls, and carrier relationships needed to grow a stable multi-line MGA. We believe that foundation now gives us the ability to expand with credibility and discipline. US E&S casualty is a natural next step: it is a large, sophisticated market where specialist judgment matters, and Alan has the experience and leadership to build it the right way.”
A spokesperson added, “The launch comes at a time when the US E&S market is playing an increasingly important role in complex commercial risk. This year Risk Placement Services reported that overall E&S premiums increased 13.2% year on year to $46.2 billion in H1 2025, with casualty representing more than 52% of E&S direct premiums written. S&P Global Market Intelligence said in its April 2026 analysis that in 2025 US domestic E&S direct premiums written stood at $105.31 billion, up 7.8% year on year, adding that liability and casualty coverages accounted for 54.9% of E&S premiums.”
Tim added: “Rising loss severity, social inflation, litigation financing and changing admitted-market appetite are increasing the need for specialist underwriting, technical pricing and flexible E&S solutions. We believe those conditions create an attractive environment for disciplined long-term growth rather than growth for its own sake. The U.S. casualty business will combine experienced underwriting judgment with Banyan’s data-driven, technology-enabled operating model, using portfolio analytics and structured underwriting workflows to support consistent risk selection and scalable execution.”
A spokesperson added, “The US casualty expansion is part of Banyan’s broader plan to continue adding specialist underwriting businesses to a common operating platform. Areas of future growth include additional property lines, further expansion of the casualty division, and other specialty classes. Banyan’s strategy is to add experienced underwriting teams where it believes its shared infrastructure, technology, data and capacity relationships can support sustainable, profitable growth.”
Alan Rodrigues, CEO, Global Casualty at Banyan Risk, said: “Casualty is a market where experience, patience and technical discipline matter enormously. Loss costs continue to evolve, and the best opportunities are not created by simply adding capacity; they come from understanding the underlying risk, selecting the right attachments, and structures, and maintaining consistency through the cycle. We have built a strong casualty platform in Bermuda, and I am excited to extend that capability into the US E&S market and to continue adding talented underwriters across the country.”
“Banyan’s approach is closely aligned with what we look for in specialist underwriting partners: experienced teams, disciplined risk selection and a commitment to building sustainable, high-quality programs. We are pleased to support Banyan’s expansion into U.S. E&S casualty and look forward to working with Alan and the broader Banyan team as they build the portfolio.” said Grace Meek, President of Accredited America.
A spokesperson added, “Founded in 2021, Banyan has expanded from its original directors’ and officers’ [D&O] franchise into a multi-line specialty MGA with operations across Bermuda, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The company has added excess liability, healthcare professional liability, inland marine and marine property, digital assets and emerging risks, and wildfire.”