Ivan Eremeev: “Risks are becoming increasingly tangible. This is no longer theory — it is reality.”
On 21 May 2025, the business program of the 13th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum featured an expert discussion entitled “Director and Officer Liability: The Development of Judicial Practice in a New Reality and Tools for Risk Protection”. The discussion focused on the legal exposures faced by company executives and the insurance solutions available to protect them.
Ivan Eremeev, Managing Director of the Financial Risks and Liability Insurance Department at RC Insurance Broker, took part in the discussion as an industry expert. He outlined the principal challenges facing the sector and proposed practical measures to support the development of a sustainable D&O insurance market in Russia.
“Risks are no longer abstract. They involve actual cases and real losses. The case law speaks for itself: the number of proceedings seeking to hold company executives liable continues to rise” — noted Ivan Eremeev.
Despite a marked increase in the number of claims, D&O insurance coverage remains limited. According to RC Insurance Broker, only around 600 companies in Russia currently maintain D&O programs, while total premiums amount to just over 5 billion rubles. The main reasons include limited awareness, the complexity of the product and insufficient transparency in risk assessment methodologies.
Three priorities for developing a stronger D&O insurance culture:
1. Informational and educational support for businesses
The first comprehensive study of the Russian D&O insurance market is due to be published in 2025. The report will bring together insurance market statistics, analysis of judicial practice, expert commentary and practical examples from the Russian corporate sector.
2. Standardizing insurance solutions
Drawing on many years of market experience, work is under way to develop new standardized D&O policy wording adapted to the needs of Russian businesses. The aim is to simplify the policy structure and make the claims process as clear and transparent for clients as possible.
3. Integrating digital solutions
CIRMP, the analytical platform unveiled in 2024, could in future be used to monitor management risks arising from the activities of companies and their executives. This would support more accurate risk assessments and enable a more proactive, real-time approach to managing emerging threats.
Russia’s D&O insurance market has demonstrated sustained growth over the past three years. Aggregate available market capacity has almost doubled, reaching 10–12 billion rubles. This progress has been supported by the continued development of specialist expertise within the professional insurance community and by government support.
The discussion resulted in a shared recognition of the need for a systematic approach to legal-risk management. Participants noted that liability insurance should become an integral part of corporate governance, particularly amid increasingly stringent regulation and growing litigation activity.
The proposals developed during the session will be considered in the preparation of methodology guidance and may form the basis of future regulatory initiatives aimed at strengthening the resilience of the Russian business sector.
