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Managing Director
Henderson Phillips Fine Arts Insurance
Arthur J. Gallagher
Washington, D.C.

Diane Jackson, Washington, D.C.-based managing director of Henderson Phillips Fine Arts Insurance/Arthur J. Gallagher, is known for finding creative solutions to complicated problems.

An official at one major museum says: "Diane is a whiz on the U.S. indemnity program and related matters. She has been able to hold down costs even with premiums going through the roof industrywide."

Jackson is credited with calming the concerns of lenders in a tough market.

"She is very budget-minded," says another major client. "She has been very imaginative in using insurance we have rather than adding insurance."

As contract language becomes complicated, Jackson has been masterful in clearly communicating what changes in language mean to the client.

"She has the ability to look at both sides of an issue and give valuable recommendations," this client says.

"She is always asking, 'Can we live with this?' " the client adds.

Jackson also is appreciated for her deep knowledge of underwriters and conditions in the underwriting market--particularly with money such an important issue in today's fine arts and species realm.

Senior Vice President
Fine Art, Jewelry & Specie
Willis
Bethesda, Md.

New England lobstermen have an expression that suits Eric Fischer perfectly--"finest kind." Just ask his clients. Says one at an art museum in the Northeast: "Eric is the best fine arts insurance broker I have ever worked with." Why? First and foremost, he is highly accessible.

Secondly, no question is too trivial to ask. Beyond that, he is a very creative thinker and is adept at dealing with museum administrators. Finally, without sacrificing quality, he has consistently been able to provide coverage at the most affordable rates.

This year has been a tough one for the fine art and specie market, but by anticipating the new conditions and approaching markets several months out, Fischer's clients saw very little in the way of a reduction in their coverage at the same time that premiums remained constant.

Another happy client of Fischer's in the past year was an internationally renown Northeast museum, especially when it came to helping mount a landmark Latin America arts show, which debuted last fall.

"We had to jump through many hoops to make that exhibition happen, and Eric was there helping us every step of the way," says a museum executive. "No matter what the challenge, Eric basically said 'yes' first and then tried to find an answer."

Managing Director
DeWitt Stern Group
New York

LeConte "Count" Moore left Marsh more than a year and a half ago, in the wake of the Spitzer investigations and the firm's subsequent $850 million settlement. Moore was barely out the door before he began to bring with him members of Marsh's crack entertainment and media team--as well as top clients--to DeWitt Stern.

Clients include the art and media world's heavyweights: Carnegie Hall, Time Warner, Universal Media, Oxygen Media and Publicis Worldwide, among others. But Moore also brought with him "boutique" clients such as Sotheby's auctioneers, the Noguchi Museum, the Gagosian Gallery, and other fine arts and specie firms.

"He's very creative and very persistent," says one client. "I've been in the auction business for 30 years, and he's the best insurance broker I've ever worked with. He has a lot of expertise, but he also has great determination. This year he developed a very creative product that called for word-for-word attention. He very patiently and persistently kept bringing everybody back to the table until the deal was completed."

A contemporary art client says: "I trust him implicitly. If I need something done in a hurry, I can call him and he just does it. No questions asked. And I have full confidence that, if there is ever a claim, he will fully back me up. He also has a great sense of humor. I consider him a friend as well as a business associate."

Managing Director
Fine Art, Jewelry & Specie
Willis
Bethesda, Md.

Even competitors cheerfully admit that Robert F. Salmon may well be the best fine arts and specie broker in America. One great advantage the British-schooled Salmon has is his adeptness in international markets--"especially the London market, where we do a lot of business," says one client.

Salmon directs a division that provides service to more than 300 museums and an equal number of galleries and private collectors, and yet he manages to be personally and deeply involved in the affairs of the world of fine art and specie. "He is very dynamic in supporting the industry at conferences and other events," says one client. "He shares his expertise very freely. I can always count on him for a straight scoop. He never has a hidden agenda."

In the past year, Salmon and his group were frequently required to deal with very substantial capacity limits--particularly earthquakes this year in California. Also, his group distinguished itself in addressing terrorism coverage issues on a worldwide basis--an area that Salmon is an acknowledged expert in. Salmon's clients have the highest praise for his ability to provide them with options during what has often been a treacherous year. And, in the face of such trying times, Salmon's clients are particularly grateful for his unfailing good temper and good humor.

Vice President
Fine Art, Jewelry & Specie
Willis
Chicago

Sandra Berlin is a household name in the Chicago art world and wider circles in the Midwest. Her list of clients includes an array of dealers and top-notch collectors.

A leading Midwest gallery owner says of the broker: "She is the best broker I've ever worked with. She is exceptionally good at making things happen. She knows how to work with us, but she also handles the insurance affairs of a dozen of our top individual collectors."

Even though the past year has been a particularly tough market, Berlin has been able to negotiate premium reductions for prime clients.

"Our rates have come down consistently over the years we've been with Sandra," says one noted dealer.

Others describe Berlin as "accessible," "friendly" and with "a good sense of humor." She goes out of her way to take a personal interest in her clients, one fine art dealer says.

"She comes by the gallery on her own volition just to see how things are going, with my business and with my family," says the client, who notes that Berlin regularly attends major art shows and other art-world events.

Senior Vice President
Fine Art Practice Leader
DeWitt Stern
New York

Superlatives from clients about Steven Pincus pile up fast. Pincus, who left Marsh at the beginning of 2006, is known for meticulous service. He's relentless in unearthing every significant detail of a deal. Relentless is also a way to describe his negotiating down to the finest points. He's known for being at the beck and call of a client--as well as being a client's best friend.

"I've never had a broker who invited me to play golf," says one prominent art gallery owner.

Says another client: "He is very patient in assessing all the variables in a situation, but when it comes time for action, he is quick to put it all together. In one deal, it was remarkable how he knew the personalities of all the underwriters."

In the past year, Pincus was successful in bringing on a major international auction house as a new client. In the same period, Pincus obtained coverage for private collectors and fine art dealers with collections with values of more than $750 million.

"Most brokers would have taken a walk on the complicated problem I presented Steven. But he quietly listened to my situation and then started presenting options until we found a solution that satisfied me and has worked out nicely," says one dealer.