The Policyholder Review 2026

Stewarts has published the second edition of its annual review of the insurance disputes landscape, covering areas such as cyber, construction, property damage and business interruption, war and political risk, and more.

The Policyholder Review 2026 also features contributions from brokers including Howden, Marsh, Lockton and HWF Partners, as well as data from intelligence provider Solomonic.

The Policyholder Review 2026

The report covers topics including:

• The approaching deadline for businesses to issue business interruption claims, alongside the implications of the Supreme Court's decision.
• Forthcoming legal and regulatory changes in the construction sector, supported by an overview of claims trends from the past five years.
• Cyber resilience, including the rise in high-profile cyber incidents during 2025 and the escalating costs of privacy breaches.
• Ransomware developments, focusing on the UK Government's consultation on proposed legislation governing ransomware payments.
• Key drivers of war and political risk disputes, with an update on the ongoing Russian aviation litigation.
• The growing volume of securities litigation arising from disputes involving directors' and officers' liability policies.

"2025 was another busy year for those working in the coverage and claims fields, and the Stewarts Policyholder Disputes team has been no exception. We hope that you will find the richness and diversity of this year's Policyholder Review a useful reminder of why the London market and English law play such a leading role in the global insurance sector."

Insurance coverage trends to watch in 2026

Stewarts' 2026 review highlights the biggest insurance dispute trends to watch this year, from renewed scrutiny of cyber cover and ongoing fire-safety litigation in construction to rising regulatory pressure on financial institutions. Securities claims against UK-listed companies continue to build, while war and political risk disputes remain in focus following the Aercap v AIG ruling. Business interruption issues are still evolving ahead of key 2026 appeals, and warranty and indemnity insurance is becoming increasingly central to global M&A deals.

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