Interview with Cheryl Sweeney: UK and US Attorney and Legal Director at QIC Global

Hi Cheryl. Why did you decide to study law?

I finished four years at university studying international politics and Russian and wasn't sure what I wanted to do next. I applied to law school because I believed the degree would help me develop skills valuable in any career, including analytical thinking, critical reasoning, drafting, and effective communication.

How did you begin your legal career and enter the insurance sector?

I qualified as a lawyer in New York and started working in the insurance industry in the late 1980s. At the time, insurance companies were developing in-house legal teams to manage high-value, complex multi-district litigation involving environmental waste sites and asbestos-related diseases.

The US Environmental Protection Agency passed legislation commonly known as Superfund, which made companies retroactively liable for environmental cleanup and related costs. This meant companies could be liable for extremely expensive cleanup costs even if they created the waste years earlier.

Suddenly, almost every company in the US was concerned about potential involvement in environmental waste sites. Only the largest companies could afford to pay these costs alone, so many turned to their insurers.

In my first role at AIG, I handled environmental claims litigation. I worked with underwriters to develop insurance policies covering environmental damage, such as cleanup costs for leaking underground storage tanks at gas stations. I then moved to Alsop Wilkinson's New York office, now part of DLA Piper, and became more involved in reinsurance.

Many reinsurance policies were placed in London, and the London market faced a huge volume of claims. I worked on litigation and arbitration for reinsurance companies with North American liabilities, often conducting audits and inspections of claims, underwriting and financial records.

Why did you begin practising in the UK?

I came to London for three or four months to work on discovery in a major insurance case, Pine Top v Pan Atlantic, and ended up staying for personal reasons. I moved from New York and stayed in the insurance industry because London is a major hub for international insurance and reinsurance. At that point, I shifted from private practice to in-house work, which was easier to manage than the long hours of a New York law firm.

Over the past 25 years, I have worked across the insurance industry, including audits and inspections for Compre and Swiss Re. For the past 15 years, I have been Head of Legal or Legal Director at CNA Hardy and now QIC Global. QIC Global is the umbrella name for a multinational group of insurance and reinsurance companies including Qatar Re in Bermuda, QIC Europe in Malta, motor insurers in Gibraltar and the Lloyd's managing agency Antares, which also has an underwriting company in Singapore.

How does working as an in-house legal director compare to private practice?

Working in-house covers a broad range of legal and commercial matters. Your client sits next to you every day, and you handle everything from specific technical questions to strategic advice. In an insurance company, you work not only with underwriters and claims teams but also with employees, office leases, IT systems, software contracts, mergers and acquisitions and company secretarial matters such as board meetings and resolutions. I also interact significantly with Compliance on regulatory issues, sanctions, and data privacy.

It is a broad role with many internal clients. This contrasts with private practice, where my client contact was limited, and I worked through one partner on specific issues.

How does the US legal system contrast with the UK's?

I really like the UK's approach to practical training as part of solicitor qualification. I envied my UK colleagues, who spent six months in four different departments gaining hands-on experience under expert supervision.

In the US, you graduate from university, complete three years of law school, earn a Juris Doctor, and then hopefully pass the bar exam. After that, you are qualified to practise law immediately, even with no practical experience. Passing exams does not mean you know what you are doing in practice.

The UK focuses more on ensuring new lawyers can demonstrate a wider range of skills across different subject areas, which exposes you to different commercial sectors and types of work.

What distinguishes the insurance sector and what made you stay?

The insurance and reinsurance industry is a fantastic sector to work in. Many people think of insurance only in terms of car or home insurance, but that's only a small part of the industry. There are many avenues depending on your interests, whether you enjoy travelling, working with different people to solve problems, or working more independently on complex contracts, mathematical exposures, or risks such as political instability and climate issues.

You could become an underwriter, broker, claims handler or contract wording specialist. A legal background is valuable in many areas, not just the Legal Department. It is a flexible sector well suited to legal skills.

Insurance is also truly international. I did not plan to work in any particular sector, but I took the best job available after passing the New York bar and have enjoyed every role since. The industry constantly evolves to meet emerging risks, which keeps the work interesting.

Out of all your roles, what has been the most interesting or challenging?

Claims was the most challenging because you are deciding whether a claim is covered under the policy, and that decision can materially affect a person or company. In the environmental claims team, I handled extremely high-value claims worth millions of dollars. These decisions had to be correct and supported by policy wording and facts. We litigated these claims, setting legal precedent that other insurers and claimants would rely on.

This experience taught me the importance of clear and fair policy wording. When I joined the industry, business insurance was often arranged informally. That changed when insurers faced claims they hadn't anticipated, and costs became astronomical. Today, the Financial Conduct Authority actively regulates customer fairness and clear policy wording. I feel I have been part of that journey and have seen how the industry has changed.

Which sector has been more impacted by the pandemic, insurance or legal?

Insurance companies had to adapt immediately because the pandemic affected their offices, employees and policyholders. Decisions had to be based on policy wording, but COVID-19 was unlike any previous pandemic. The Financial Conduct Authority stepped in with a test case to address emerging coverage disputes. That case was appealed and left grey areas, now being addressed through complaints to the Financial Ombudsman and further litigation and arbitration.

Events that actuaries consider once in 200 years are happening much sooner. Insurance companies must factor this into reserve management and commercial risk. Emerging risks also create opportunities to develop new products, such as specific epidemic or pandemic cover. Cybercrime is another evolving risk with new types of claims.

What is the key to being successful in the legal insurance industry?

Anyone can succeed, but you need to identify the role that suits you. Some people enjoy negotiating insurance programmes or distribution deals, while others prefer technical work such as analysing risks or reviewing complex contracts.

If you enjoy contracts, this industry needs you. Success means carefully reading long agreements, understanding their meaning, and ensuring they reflect underwriters' intentions. It helps to consider how terms apply in real life, and talking to claims teams is invaluable. A skilled lawyer brings underwriting and claims perspectives together when drafting agreements.

As a young lawyer, you must educate yourself about your clients' industry sector. The best way to do this is to talk to people doing the job and ask questions.

What advice would you give yourself as a freshman starting law school?

When I was younger, I felt expected to be an expert, and I thought not knowing the answer looked unprofessional. In hindsight, I would have asked more questions and taken more people for coffee to learn about their roles and how different parts of the industry connect.

I was also too deferential to senior partners and directors. I felt there was a strict chain of command and that only senior people should speak in meetings. I now encourage my team to participate actively. It is important to understand why you are invited to a meeting, the underlying dynamics and when to contribute.

Networking is also crucial. I initially felt uncomfortable attending events to make connections, but networking is simply building relationships. Every interaction is an opportunity, even with people you already know. You do not need to talk about jobs or work. People hire people they like and who fit the culture. Newly qualified lawyers are not expected to be experts.

How can students overcome jargon in the business and financial world?

Insurance and reinsurance use extensive jargon and acronyms, and the same word can have different meanings depending on context. Every industry is like this. You learn the language by reading, listening, and asking questions. People enjoy explaining what they do.

I recommend a secondment in an insurance company and attending Market Association committees to hear professionals discuss issues in their usual business language. Even by listening, you'll start to understand jargon, company personalities, and current issues.