Temple Legal Protection 25 years of legal expenses insurance innovation since 1999
The 90-second timeline video below gives a snapshot of some significant moments for us and our customers in that time. We also take a brief look back, reflect for a moment and look forward to a celebratory year of events and activities.
Do you remember 1999? This was the year ‘The Matrix’ premiered, a minimum wage was introduced in the UK and the record football player transfer fee was £32 million.
Temple Legal Protection also opened for business in this year, the same year as the Access to Justice Act replaced the legal aid system in England and Wales. Then, as now, Temple offered a diverse range of legal expenses insurance products; ‘After the event’ (ATE) for solicitors and ‘Before the event’ commercial legal expenses cover for brokers.
In the early years, Temple insured some significant cases including ‘Callery v Gray’ in 2002; a landmark judgment that helped establish the ATE industry. Since then, Temple innovations have included delegated authority insurance schemes, ‘staged’ as well as ‘deferred and contingent’ premiums, ‘LASPO friendly’ ATE cover in 2013 and CCA backed disbursement funding in 2017.
For commercial disputes media law has been a speciality – Temple supported the journalist who uncovered the MPs expenses scandal in 2009. In 2011, we backed the first of many (and many still ongoing) phone hacking privacy proceedings as well as the Martin Lewis v Facebook case in 2019. And not forgetting the first employment disputes insurance cover sold by employment lawyers.
Commenting on 25 years of insurance innovation and excellence in customer service, Temple MD Laurence Pipkin said “At Temple Legal Protection, since 1999 we have built our reputation for doing things a little differently from our competitors. This is because we value the long game in our business partnerships – not just a short-term win. 2024 will be a time to reflect on those values that were so important to our founder Chris Wait, who passed away late in 2022, as well as looking forward to the next 25 years with great enthusiasm.”
During 2024 keep an eye out for 25th anniversary announcements, as well as news of events Temple will be hosting. In planning the celebrations we have been so grateful to receive testimonials from some long-standing clients. Watch this space!
