Who we are

John Shaw ACII FCILA FEUDI IFAA, managing director of S.W. Associates, is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters, an ex-parachute regiment captain who has been a loss adjuster and surveyor for 30 years, specialising in specie work in all fields. He is a member of La Compagnie des Experts Agrées and sits on the audit committee of the European Certification Board (ECB.S), for monitoring testing standards. He has adjusted many high-profile jewel robberies and fire losses. He works on bespoke programmes for insurers and insureds as well as works at board level with cash carriers and diamond markets in English and French.

Sophie Charrier is a graduate of the Paris « Institut Supérieur des Carrières Artistiques ». Specialising in claims involving fine art and specie, Sophie has managed losses for well-known classic or contemporary pieces and collections. She is astute in advising the best way forward while keeping all parties advised. She has an unsurpassed knowledge of restoration & salvage procedures from over 20 years’ legal, technical & claims handling experience in both French and English. Furthermore, she has a wide knowledge of authorised restorers and is familiar dealing with artists and their legacy committees.

Sophie Germain is a certified CII claims handler in French, English and Spanish, with 7 years’ experience in High Net Worth (HNW) claims and surveys where she is experienced in dealing with high value clients and their staff. She also adjusts commercial and industrial claims and is part of our major loss team.

Nelly Legay works in the Paris office as the Administrative and Contracts Manager. She has been with the company from the start and is experienced in desk top claims handling and managing claims bordereau. She is in charge of French-English translating and proof reading and specialises in online research.

Fabrice Mignon is a graduate of Université Aix III and Université Bordeaux Talence and has 20 years’ of experience working as a loss adjuster, specialising in high net worth (HNW), property and industrial claims. He is also a highly experienced surveyor, who completes risk audits including jewellers’ block and maintains good links to installers of physical and electrical protections.

Patricia Mignon has 15 years’ experience in general insurance and 12 years’ experience as an adjuster. Patricia specialises in commercial and industrial claims, working closely with local coverholders and London market insurers. She has experience pursuing recoveries through French procedures and has worked with numerous VIPs throughout her career.

Lewis Bertenshaw previously worked as a corporate actions analyst in the banking industry and so has a keen interest in BBB (Bankers’ Blanket Bond) work. He is also experienced in jewellers’ block claims for luxury retailers and HNW clients. His languages include English, French and Portuguese.

Keith Allen has worked in the insurance industry for 44 years, for Prudential, then Crawford for 20 years as general manager and then Cunningham Lindsey for 7 years as general manager before coming to S.W. Associates. qualified to a FCII standard, he has been living and working in France for 40 years. He adjusts CAR, EAR and industrial claims.

Philippe de Clinchamps has over 40 years’ experience in HNW claims and surveys. He works throughout France and has deep knowledge of older patrimonies, their construction and also of French market recovery procedures.

Martin Barnett is an ex Hong Kong police inspector and an ex–parachute regiment captain and has over 20 years’ experience in security surveys and loss adjusting for banking, cash in transit and jewellers’ block. He specialises in high value sites and developing market risks. He has been vetted by the UK Home Office for auditing the sensitive banking sites. He also specialises in tiger kidnap avoidance planning & response training. He has worked in over eighty countries throughout his career.

Ismael Bienvenido Fernandez has 6 years’ experience in loss adjusting for claims involving HNW, fine art and in high value storage as well as jewellers’ block and industrial surveying. Ismael handles claims in Spanish and English and has completed projects for insurers and coverholders in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Greece, Switzerland, Malta, The Netherlands and Lebanon. He travels frequently throughout the Mediterranean basin.

Giovanni Gonella studied as a mechanical engineer and worked on research in the construction industry before entering adjusting in 1992. He has many years’ experience as a generalist in handling property and liability claims, but specialises in specie and high net worth. He is familiar with the style of the domestic Italian market, but works mainly for London based and international insurers. He handles claims and surveys throughout Italy and on the Côte d’Azur.

Maria Celeste Meoli graduated with a degree in medieval art. She then worked in art galleries and museums before joining the adjusting profession in 2011. She has lived in Greece and has good spoken and written Greek language skills. She is experienced in fine art and HNW claims and in Italian market procedures for recoveries.

Bookkeeper, stock controls, inventory verifications.

UK office manager & administrator, office liaison, English/French law degree, bilingual English & French.