Jim Hamilton
CRC Environmental Brokerage, a division of CRC Insurance Services
Specialty: Environmental
Hailed as an environmental insurance expert by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Jim Hamilton has more than two decades of environmental insurance expertise. He was one of the key personnel for a contract with the EPA, providing insurance expert support for various EPA divisions, as well as the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense. He was also the first broker to have used environmental cost cap insurance as a financial assurance instrument for an EPA Superfund site.
Hamilton started writing environmental insurance early in his career at a time when only a few brokers specialized in the space. In the early and mid-2000s, Hamilton was a director at Dispute Resolution Management [DRM], an international consulting firm specializing in environmental, asbestos, product liability and insolvent carrier claim settlements against historical GL policies. After DRM, Hamilton joined JCH Environmental Insurance Agency, and from there he transitioned into wholesale brokerage, currently serving as the national practice leader for CRC’s environmental practice.
“Evironmental exposures and risks are evolving, and no two clients share the same risks or exposures,” he says. “It is vital we understand our client’s risk, and the process of identifying those risks through site visits and client interviews is a fun part of our job … Even though environmental insurance is a very mature product, developing a tailored insurance and risk management program for a client frequently involves creating manuscript forms and endorsements. The creative process of working with the client, underwriters, counsel and other stakeholders to develop bespoke coverage can be very rewarding.”
