Bermuda lawyer receives second Fred Reiss award

Bermudian corporate lawyer Michael Burns has been selected winner of the second Fred Reiss Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award is named in honour of Fred Reiss, an Ohio engineer who conceived the idea of 'self-insurance', and will be presented to Burns at the Bermuda Captive Conference on September 10-13.

Burns is a former senior partner, executive board member and global group general counsel of law firm Appleby, and now runs his own consultancy.

He has led several corporate law reform initiatives on behalf of the Bermuda Insurance Management Association and the captive sector.

Burns has also served as secretary to the former Bermuda International Business Association Legislative Change Committee, and has assisted international offshore law firm Harney Westwood & Riegels in its 2015 start-up in Bermuda.

“Michael has made a very impressive contribution to Bermuda’s corporate landscape over many years,” said conference chairman David Gibbons. “In particular, the Lifetime Achievement Award highlights the innovative work he has carried out to forge progressive change to benefit our captive insurance industry and Bermuda’s whole marketplace for years to come.”

Burns commented: “I’m humbled and delighted to have been selected to receive this award from the Bermuda Captive Conference. The Bermuda market’s forward momentum is the product of collective effort and collaboration among many of our industry fellows and partners. I am pleased to accept the award on behalf of all those—captive managers, clients and colleagues among them—upon whose efforts, creativity and continued collaboration the future of the vital captive sector depends.”

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