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Fireman's Fund Insurance Company's Entertainment Division Partners with Allianz Insurance in the U.K. to Expand Its Industry-Leading Film Underwriting Capability

NOVATO, Calif.-(Business Wire)-September 4, 2008 - Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, the entertainment community’s veteran leader in insuring feature films, is expanding its operation with the opening of a London office which offers film underwriting to European production companies. Ian Mercer, an insurance executive with 20 years of experience in both the United Kingdom and United States, heads the new office.

Fireman’s Fund will work with one of its parent company subsidiaries, Allianz Insurance in the U.K., to provide a fully comprehensive insurance package for production companies and vendors.

“This is the first step in broadening our unmatched experience and expertise in film underwriting, backed by the power of our parent Allianz, a global insurance leader,” said Joe Finnegan, vice president of Fireman’s Fund Entertainment. “Over the years, we have been underwriting productions that are filmed in Europe and other global regions – but now we’ll be able to offer an increased ease of doing business by providing local coverage we weren’t able to offer before, local underwriting knowledge and eliminating time differences.”

Mercer joined the insurance industry in 1981 and has worked in entertainment insurance since 1987, serving in a variety of roles at Hayward & Company, an entertainment insurance broker and with EBI U.K. Ltd. In 1997, Mercer established Media Insurance Brokers (MIB) in London with several partners, working exclusively in the entertainment and media sectors.

He opened MIB’s Los Angeles office in 1999, working there for seven years before returning to London in 2007, where he continued to oversee MIB’s Los Angeles office.

The London office is located at 27 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3A 1AA, Tel: (020) 7488 1882.

With an over 80-year history of insuring a majority of Hollywood studio films, the Fireman’s Fund Entertainment division is dedicated to helping producers and studios achieve the artistic results they are seeking, yet also ensuring they are filmed safely, finished on time and on budget. Its 70-member team includes underwriters and loss control experts with an average of 20 years of experience in the entertainment field.

About Fireman’s Fund

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company is a premier property and casualty insurance company providing personal, commercial and specialty insurance products nationwide. It is rated ‘A+’ by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services. Fireman’s Fund is a member of the Allianz Group (NYSE:AZ), one of the world’s largest providers of insurance and financial services. Allianz ranks as the most sustainable insurer in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index based on its economic, social and environmental performance. For additional information, visit www.firemansfund.com.

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