PARTNERRE LTD - Annual Report: 2010 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010

OR

For the transition period from                     to                    

Commission file number 1-14536

PartnerRe Ltd.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(441) 292-0888

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ¨    No  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act.)    Yes  ¨    No  x

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of most recently completed second fiscal quarter (June 30, 2010) was $5,265,430,772 based on the closing sales price of the registrant’s common shares of $70.14 on that date.

The number of the registrant’s common shares (par value $1.00 per share) outstanding, net of treasury shares, as of February 22, 2011 was 67,553,253.

Documents Incorporated by Reference:

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

PartnerRe Ltd. has made statements under the captions Business, Risk Factors, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation, and in other sections of this annual report on Form 10-K that are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance, our anticipated growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those factors described under the caption entitled Risk Factors. You should specifically consider the numerous risks outlined under Risk Factors.

Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. We are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this annual report on Form 10-K to conform our prior statements to actual results or revised expectations.

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PART I

General

PartnerRe Ltd. (the Company or PartnerRe), incorporated in Bermuda in August 1993, is the ultimate holding company for our international reinsurance group. The Company provides reinsurance on a worldwide basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries, including Partner Reinsurance Company Ltd. (PartnerRe Bermuda), Partner Reinsurance Europe Limited (PartnerRe Europe) and Partner Reinsurance Company of the U.S. (PartnerRe U.S.). Risks reinsured include, but are not limited to, property, casualty, motor, agriculture, aviation/space, catastrophe, credit/surety, engineering, energy, marine, specialty property, specialty casualty, multiline and other lines and mortality, longevity and health. The Company also offers alternative risk products that include weather and credit protection to financial, industrial and service companies on a worldwide basis.

The Company was initially formed to capitalize on a void of capacity in the catastrophe reinsurance market following the significant devastation wrought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the concurrent difficulties being faced by Lloyds of London. After raising nearly $1 billion with its initial public offering, the Company became one of the premier catastrophe reinsurers on a global basis, with acknowledged underwriting skills and disciplined risk management principles.

In 1997, recognizing the limits of a continued monoline strategy, the Company shifted its strategic focus to execute a plan to become a leading multiline reinsurer. Through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, the Company moved to capitalize on the benefits of diversification—both in terms of geography and business lines. In July 1997, the Company completed the acquisition of SAFR (subsequently renamed PartnerRe SA), a well-established global professional reinsurer based in Paris. In December 1998, the Company completed the acquisition of the reinsurance operations of Winterthur Re, further enhancing the Company’s expansion strategy.

In November 2005, the European Parliament adopted Directive 2005/68/EC, the European Union Reinsurance Directive (Reinsurance Directive). The Reinsurance Directive seeks to harmonize the supervision of reinsurance business within the European Union by creating a single regulated market. To ensure operational efficiency, the Company determined that it was in its best commercial interests to restructure its European operations to create a single operating platform in Europe and that the appropriate entity to operate as such single operating platform was its Irish reinsurance subsidiary, PartnerRe Europe. This reorganization occurred on January 1, 2008.

In December 2009, the Company completed its acquisition of PARIS RE Holdings Limited (Paris Re), a French-listed, Swiss-based holding company and its operating subsidiaries. The Consolidated Statements of Operations and Cash Flows include the results of Paris Re for the period from October 2, 2009, the date of acquisition of the controlling interest (Acquisition Date). This acquisition provides the Company with a stronger global platform resulting in more balance and stability in the increasingly volatile financial and reinsurance markets.

On December 7, 2009, PartnerRe successfully cross-listed PartnerRe common shares on NYSE Euronext Paris, under the ticker symbol PRE. As such the Company is subject to the rules and regulations of Autorité des Marches Financiers. PartnerRe common shares continue to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE) in the United States and the Bermuda Stock Exchange (the BSX) in Bermuda, under the ticker symbol PRE, and PartnerRe remains subject to the rules and regulations of the NYSE, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the BSX.

During 2010, Paris Re’s operating subsidiaries and business were integrated into the Company’s existing operating structure.

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Business Strategy

The Company assumes and manages global re/insurance and capital markets risks. Its strategy is founded on a capital-based risk appetite and the selected risks that Management believes will allow the Company to meet its goals for appropriate profitability and risk management within that appetite. Management believes that this construct allows the Company to balance cedants’ need for absolute certainty of claims payment with its shareholders’ need for an appropriate return on their capital. Operating return on beginning shareholders’ equity (Operating ROE) and growth in diluted book value per common shares and common share equivalents outstanding (Diluted Book Value per Share) are two of the key metrics used by Management to measure the Company’s results. Consequently, the Company has set a goal of an average 13% Operating ROE and a compound annual growth rate of 10% in Diluted Book Value per Share after the payment of dividends over a reinsurance cycle. Operating ROE is obtained by dividing operating earnings or loss available to common shareholders (Operating Earnings or Loss) by common shareholders’ equity at the beginning of the year. Operating Earnings or Loss is defined as net income or loss available to common shareholders excluding net realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments, net of tax, net realized gain on purchase of capital efficient notes (CENts), net of tax, and net interest in earnings or losses of equity investments, net of tax, where the Company does not control the investee companies’ activities, and is calculated after preferred dividends. Diluted Book Value per Share is calculated using common shareholders’ equity (shareholders’ equity less the aggregate liquidation value of preferred shares), divided by the number of fully diluted common shares and common share equivalents outstanding (assuming exercise of all stock-based awards and other dilutive securities). See Key Financial Measures in Item 7 of Part II of this report for a detailed discussion of the measures used by the Company to evaluate its financial performance.

The Company has adopted the following five-point strategy:

Diversify risk across products, assets and geographies: PartnerRe writes most lines of business in approximately 150 countries worldwide. The Company’s geographic spread of premiums mirrors that of the global insurance industry. Management believes diversification is a competitive advantage, which increases return per unit of risk, provides access to reinsurance business opportunities worldwide, and reduces the overall volatility of results. It is also the cornerstone of the Company’s risk management approach. The reinsurance business is cyclical, but cycles by line of business and by geography are rarely synchronized. This diversification strategy allows the Company to rapidly deploy capital to risk classes and geographies that offer the greatest return over time.

Maintain a risk appetite moderately above the market: PartnerRe is in the business of assuming risk for an appropriate return. The Company’s products address accumulation risks, complex coverage issues and large exposures faced by clients. The Company’s willingness and ability to assume these risks make PartnerRe an important reinsurer to many of the world’s insurance companies. The Company seeks to focus its book of business on those lines of business and market segments where it perceives greatest potential for profit over time. This means a high proportion of the business written by the Company is in severity lines of business such as casualty, catastrophe, specialized property and aviation, although the Company also writes frequency lines of business such as property, motor and life, which have historically provided modestly lower levels of returns with less volatility.

Actively manage capital across the portfolio and over the cycle: PartnerRe seeks to manage its capital to optimize shareholder returns over the cycle. In order to manage capital across a portfolio and over a cycle, the Company believes two things are critical: an appropriate and common measure of risk-adjusted performance and the ability and willingness to redeploy capital for its most efficient and effective use, either within the business or by return to the shareholders. To achieve effective and efficient capital allocation, the Company has an intense focus on operating return on beginning shareholders’ equity. This discipline and focus, supported by strong actuarial and financial analysis, allows the Company to make well-informed decisions at the underwriting and pricing level, as well as in the allocation of capital within its portfolio of reinsurance businesses and within pre-established risk limits.

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Add value through underwriting and transactional excellence: Underwriting and transactional excellence is achieved in three principal ways: through the quality of the Company’s people, the structure they operate in, and the effectiveness of various processes and tools. Maintaining continuity and depth in the Company’s management, underwriting, actuarial and financial areas is critical to maintaining an independent view of risk, a core part of the strategy. Equally important, the Company believes, is organizing its operations around geography, lines of business, distribution or client characteristics, and providing and building the right infrastructure to continually improve its capabilities in all transactional areas: underwriting, financial reporting and controls, reserving, pricing and claims.

Achieve superior returns on invested assets in the context of a disciplined risk framework: Strong underwriting must be complemented with prudent financial management, careful reserving and superior asset management in order to achieve the Company’s targeted returns. The Company is committed to maintaining a strong and transparent balance sheet and achieving superior investment returns by gradually expanding its investment portfolio into new risk classes, many of which have more connection with capital markets than with traditional reinsurance markets. The Company assumes investment risk according to the same principles used for reinsurance underwriting, including diversification.

Reinsurance Operations

General

The Company provides reinsurance for its clients in approximately 150 countries around the world. Through its branches and subsidiaries, the Company provides reinsurance of non-life and life risks of ceding companies (primary insurers, cedants or reinsureds) on either a proportional or non-proportional basis through treaties or facultative reinsurance. The Company’s offices are located in Beijing, Bermuda, Dublin, Greenwich (Connecticut), Hong Kong, Labuan, Mexico City, Miami, Montreal, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, Toronto, Washington, D.C., Zug and Zurich.

In a proportional reinsurance arrangement (also known as pro-rata reinsurance, quota-share reinsurance or participating reinsurance), the reinsurer shares a proportional part of the original premiums of the reinsured. In return, the reinsurer assumes a proportional share of the losses incurred by the cedant. The reinsurer pays the ceding company a commission, which is generally based on the ceding company’s cost of acquiring the business being reinsured (including commissions, premium taxes, assessments and miscellaneous administrative expenses) and may also include a profit.

Non-proportional (or excess of loss) reinsurance indemnifies the reinsured against all or a specified portion of losses on underlying insurance policies in excess of a specified amount, which is called a level, retention or attachment point. Non-proportional business is written in layers and a reinsurer or group of reinsurers accepts a band of coverage up to a specified amount. The total coverage purchased by the cedant is referred to as a program and is typically placed with predetermined reinsurers in pre-negotiated layers. Any liability exceeding the upper limit of the program reverts to the ceding company.

Facultative reinsurance (proportional or non-proportional) is the reinsurance of individual risks. The reinsurer separately rates and underwrites each risk rather than assuming all or a portion of a class of risks as in the case of treaty reinsurance.

The Company monitors the performance of its operations in three segments, Non-life, Life and Corporate & Other. The Non-life segment is further divided into four sub-segments, North America, Global (Non-U.S.) Property and Casualty (Global (Non-U.S.) P&C), Global (Non-U.S.) Specialty and Catastrophe. Segments and sub-segments represent markets that are reasonably homogeneous in terms of geography, client types, buying patterns, underlying risk patterns and approach to risk management. During the fourth quarter of 2010, the Company redefined its financial reporting segments following the completion of its integration of Paris Re into

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its other Non-life sub-segments and changes in management responsibilities for certain lines of business and treaties. As a result, segment data for prior periods has been recast to conform to the current year presentation (see Note 22 to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of Part II of this report).

The North America sub-segment includes agriculture, casualty, motor, multiline, property, surety and other risks generally originating in the United States. The Global (Non- U.S.) P&C sub-segment includes casualty, motor and property business generally originating outside of the United States. The Global (Non- U.S.) Specialty sub-segment is comprised of business that is generally considered to be specialized due to the sophisticated technical underwriting required to analyze risks, and is global in nature. This sub-segment consists of several lines of business for which the Company believes it has developed specialized knowledge and underwriting capabilities. These lines of business include agriculture, aviation/space, credit/surety, energy, engineering, marine, specialty casualty, specialty property and other lines. The Catastrophe sub-segment is comprised of the Company’s catastrophe line of business. The Life segment includes mortality, longevity and health lines of business. Corporate and Other is comprised of the capital markets and investment related activities of the Company, including principal finance transactions, insurance-linked securities and strategic investments, and its corporate activities, including other operating expenses.

Agriculture—The Company reinsures, primarily on a proportional basis, agricultural yield and price/revenue risks related to flood, drought, hail and disease related to crops, livestock and aquaculture.

Aviation/Space—The Company provides specialized reinsurance protection for airline, general aviation and space insurance business primarily on a proportional basis and through facultative arrangements. Its space business relates to coverages for satellite assembly, launch and operation for commercial space programs.

Casualty—The Company’s casualty business includes third party liability, employers’ liability, workers’ compensation and personal accident coverages written on both a proportional and non-proportional basis, including structured reinsurance of casualty risks.

Catastrophe—The Company provides property catastrophe reinsurance protection, written primarily on a non-proportional basis, against the accumulation of losses caused by windstorm, earthquake, tropical cyclone, flood or by any other natural hazard that is covered under a comprehensive property policy. Through the use of underwriting tools based on proprietary computer models developed by its research team, the Company combines natural science with highly professional underwriting skills in order to offer capacity at a price commensurate with the risk.

Credit/Surety—Credit reinsurance, written primarily on a proportional basis, provides coverage to commercial credit insurers, and the surety line relates primarily to bonds and other forms of security written by specialized surety insurers.

Energy (Energy Onshore)—The Company provides reinsurance coverage for the onshore oil and gas industry, mining, power generation and pharmaceutical operations primarily on a proportional basis and through facultative arrangements.

Engineering—The Company provides reinsurance for engineering projects throughout the world, predominantly on a proportional treaty basis and through facultative arrangements.

Marine (Marine/Energy Offshore)—The Company provides reinsurance protection and technical services relating to marine hull, cargo, transit and offshore oil and gas operations on a proportional or non-proportional basis.

Motor—The Company’s motor business includes reinsurance coverages for third party liability and property damage risks arising from both passenger and commercial fleet automobile coverages written by cedants. This business is written predominantly on a proportional basis.

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Multiline—The Company’s multiline business provides both property and casualty reinsurance coverages written on both a proportional and non-proportional basis.

Property—Property business provides reinsurance coverage to insurers for property damage or business interruption losses resulting from fires, catastrophes and other perils covered in industrial and commercial property and homeowners’ policies and is written on both a proportional and non-proportional basis, including structured reinsurance of property risks. The Company’s most significant exposure is typically to losses from windstorm and earthquake, although the Company is exposed to losses from sources as diverse as freezes, riots, floods, industrial explosions, fires, hail and a number of other loss events. The Company’s predominant exposure under these property coverages is to property damage. However, other risks, including business interruption and other non-property losses may also be covered under a property reinsurance contract when arising from a covered peril. In accordance with market practice, the Company’s property reinsurance treaties generally exclude certain risks such as war, nuclear, biological and chemical contamination, radiation and environmental pollution.

Specialty Casualty—The Company provides specialized reinsurance protection for non-U.S. casualty business that requires specialized underwriting expertise due to the nature of the underlying risk or the complexity of the reinsurance treaty. This reinsurance protection is offered on a proportional, non-proportional or facultative basis.

Specialty Property—The Company provides specialized reinsurance protection for non-U.S. property business that requires specialized underwriting expertise due to the nature of the underlying risk or the complexity of the reinsurance treaty. This reinsurance protection is offered on a proportional, non-proportional or facultative basis.

Mortality/Longevity and Health—Mortality treaties provide reinsurance coverage to primary life insurers and pension funds with respect to individual and group mortality and health risks. Longevity treaties provide reinsurance coverage to insurers who issue annuity contracts offering long-term retirement benefits to consumers who seek protection against outliving their financial resources. Mortality business is written primarily on a proportional basis through treaty arrangements.

The Company’s business is produced both through brokers and through direct relationships with insurance companies. In North America, business is primarily written through brokers, while in the rest of the world, the business is written on both a direct and broker basis.

For the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company had two brokers that individually accounted for 10% or more of its gross premiums written. The Aon Group (including the Benfield Group) accounted for approximately 25% of total gross premiums written, while Marsh (including Guy Carpenter) accounted for approximately 21% of total gross premiums written. The following table summarizes the percentage of gross premiums written through these two brokers by segment and sub-segment for the year ended December 31, 2010:

The Company’s business is geographically diversified with premiums being written in approximately 150 countries. See Note 22 to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of Part II of this report for additional disclosure of the geographic distribution of gross premiums written and financial information about segments and sub-segments.

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Summary of certain agreements between AXA SA, Colisée Re and Paris Re

On December 21, 2006, Colisée Re (formerly known as AXA RE), a subsidiary of AXA SA (AXA) transferred substantially all of its assets and liabilities, other than specified reinsurance and retrocession agreements and certain other excluded assets and liabilities, to PARIS RE Holdings SA’s French operating subsidiary Paris Re (Paris Re France) (AXA Transfer). The AXA Transfer was immediately followed by the acquisition, which consisted of the indirect acquisition by Paris Re of all the outstanding capital stock of Paris Re France (AXA Acquisition). In connection with the AXA Acquisition, AXA, Colisée Re and Paris Re entered into various agreements (2006 Acquisition Agreements).

On October 1, 2010, PartnerRe Europe and Paris Re France effected a cross border merger whereby all the assets and liabilities of Paris Re were transferred to PartnerRe Europe, including the 2006 Acquisition Agreements. The following provides a summary of certain agreements entered into by Paris Re, Paris Re France, AXA SA and Colisée Re however references to Paris Re France should now, as a result of the aforementioned merger, be to PartnerRe Europe.

2006 Acquisition Agreements

The following are the principal agreements entered into between Paris Re France, and its affiliates, and Colisée Re, and its affiliates, to give effect to the AXA Acquisition:

Quota Share Retrocession Agreement

In connection with the AXA Acquisition, the transfer of the benefits and risks of Colisée Re’s reinsurance agreements to Paris Re France was effected by two 100% quota share retrocession agreements. One quota share retrocession agreement is between Colisée Re and Paris Re France, and the other, which relates exclusively to business written by the Canadian branch of Colisée Re, is between the Canadian branch of Colisée Re and the Canadian branch of Paris Re France (now Canadian non-life branch of PartnerRe Europe). These two agreements, dated as of the closing of the AXA Acquisition, are effective as of January 1, 2006, and are on substantially similar terms (collectively, Quota Share Retrocession Agreement). The Quota Share Retrocession Agreement provides for the payment of premiums to Paris Re France (including its then Canadian branch) by Colisée Re as consideration for reinsuring the covered liabilities. The Quota Share Retrocession Agreement provides that these premiums will be on a funds withheld basis. Paris Re France will receive any surplus, and be responsible for any deficits remaining with respect to the Funds Held – Directly Managed Account discussed below, after all liabilities have been discharged and payments pursuant to the Reserve Agreement (defined below) have been settled. In addition, every quarter Colisée Re will release to Paris Re France any investment income, or Paris Re France will pay to Colisée Re an amount equal to any investment loss, as the case may be, generated by the funds held.

Issuance Agreement and Claims Management and Services Agreement

To enable Paris Re France (including its Canadian branch) to write business after the closing of the AXA Acquisition, Colisée Re agreed, pursuant to an issuance agreement entered into between Colisée Re and Paris Re France on the closing of the AXA Acquisition (Issuance Agreement) to write business on behalf of Paris Re France for a specified period which ended on September 30, 2007. The Issuance Agreement provides for indemnification by Paris Re France to Colisée Re for any loss incurred by Colisée Re in connection with the performance of its obligations, except to the extent the loss results from fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence of, or a material breach of the agreement by, Colisée Re. On the closing of the AXA Acquisition, Paris Re France and Colisée Re also entered into a claims management and services agreement (Claims Management and Services Agreement). The Claims Management and Services Agreement specifies certain services, including claims management, to be provided by Paris Re France in respect of the business that is covered by the Quota Share Retrocession Agreement and that was written by Colisée Re from January 1, 2006 to

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the closing of the AXA Acquisition as well as contracts Colisée Re has issued for the benefit of Paris Re France under the Issuance Agreement. Pursuant to the Claims Management and Services Agreement, Paris Re France manages the retrocession agreements that relate to this business.

Reserve Agreement and Run Off Services and Management Agreement

On the closing of the AXA Acquisition, AXA, Colisée Re and Paris Re France entered into a reserve agreement (Reserve Agreement). The Reserve Agreement provides that AXA and Colisée Re shall guarantee reserves in respect of Paris Re France and subsidiaries acquired in the AXA Acquisition. The Reserve Agreement covers losses incurred prior to December 31, 2005, including any adverse development in respect thereof, by Paris Re France, and the subsidiaries of Colisée Re transferred to Paris Re France as part of the 2006 Acquisition Agreements, in respect of reinsurance policies issued or renewed, and in respect of which premiums were earned, on or prior to December 31, 2005 (but excluding any amendments thereto effected after the closing of the 2006 Acquisition Agreements).

Pursuant to the Reserve Agreement, AXA has agreed to cause AXA Liabilities Managers, an affiliate of Colisée Re (AXA LM), to provide Paris Re France with periodic reports setting forth the amount of losses incurred in respect of the business guaranteed by AXA. The reserve guarantee provided by AXA and Colisée Re is conditioned upon, among other things, the guaranteed business, including all related ceded reinsurance, being managed by AXA LM. The Reserve Agreement further contemplates that Colisée Re or Paris Re France, as the case may be, shall pay to the other party amounts equal to any deficiency or surplus in the transferred reserves with respect to losses incurred, such losses being net of any recovery by Colisée Re including through retrocessional protection, salvage or subrogation.

The rights and obligations of AXA LM with respect to the management of this business are set forth in a run off services and management agreement among AXA LM, Colisée Re and Paris Re France (Run Off Services and Management Agreement). Under the Run Off Services and Management Agreement, Paris Re has agreed that AXA LM will manage claims arising from all reinsurance and retrocession contracts subject to the Reserve Agreement, either directly or, for contracts that were issued by certain Colisée Re entities identified in the agreement, by delegation to certain other specified entities, including Paris Re France. This includes contract administration, the administration of ceded reinsurance, claims handling, settlements and business commutations. Although Paris Re France has certain consultation rights in connection with the management of the run-off of the contracts subject to the Reserve Agreement, AXA LM does not need to obtain Paris Re France’s prior consent in connection with claims handling and settlements, and no consent is required for business commutations if the amount of case reserves related to commuted contracts does not exceed €100 million in any twelve month period.

Funds Held - Directly Managed Account

Following the AXA Acquisition, Paris Re and its subsidiaries entered into the Issuance Agreement and Quota Share Retrocession Agreement to assume business written by Colisée Re from January 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007 as well as the in-force business as of December 31, 2005. The agreements provided that the premium related to the transferred business was retained by Colisée Re and credited to a funds held account. The assets underlying the funds held—directly managed account were predominantly maintained by Colisée Re in a segregated investment portfolio and managed by the Company. On February 1, 2011, PartnerRe Europe (formerly Paris Re France prior to the aforementioned cross border merger with PartnerRe Europe), entered into an Endorsement to Quota Share Retrocession Agreement (the Endorsement) with Colisée Re. The Endorsement amends certain terms of the Quota Share Retrocession Agreement and sets out the basis on which the parties have agreed that certain assets currently forming part of the funds held—directly managed account will be released to PartnerRe Europe. The segregated investment portfolio underlying the funds held—directly managed account is carried at fair value. Realized and unrealized investment gains and losses and net investment income related to the underlying investment portfolio in the funds held—directly managed account inure to the benefit of Paris Re. The composition of this portfolio at December 31, 2010 and 2009 is discussed in Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources—Funds Held—Directly Managed in Item 7 of Part II of this report and net

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investment income and realized and unrealized investment gains and losses recognized from the Acquisition Date are discussed in Corporate and Other—Net investment income and Net Realized and Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses) in Item 7 of Part II of this report. The credit risk of Colisée Re in the event of its insolvency or its failure to honor the value of the funds held balances for any other reason is discussed in Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk—Counterparty Credit Risk in Item 7A of Part II of this report.

Risk Management, Underwriting, Underwriting Risk and Exposure Controls, Retrocessions and Claims

Risk Management

In the reinsurance industry, the core of the business model is the assumption of risk. Hence, risk management entails both the determination of an optimum risk-adjusted appetite for assumed business risks, and the reduction or mitigation of risks for which the organization is either not sufficiently compensated, or those risks that could threaten the ability of the Company to achieve its objectives.

All business decisions entail a risk/return trade-off. In the context of assumed business risks, this requires an accurate evaluation of risks to be assumed, and a determination of the appropriate economic returns required as fair compensation for such risks. For other than voluntarily assumed business risks, the decision relates to comparing the probability and potential severity of a risk event against the costs of risk mitigation strategies. In many cases, the potential impact of a risk event is so severe as to warrant significant, and potentially expensive, risk mitigation strategies. In other cases, the probability and potential severity of a risk does not warrant extensive risk mitigation.

The Company sets its appetite for assumed business risks in order to provide value to its clients and adequate risk-adjusted returns to its shareholders, without overexposing the Company to any one or series of related risks. Assumed business risks are mitigated to the extent the risk mitigation strategies provide a positive return on the Company’s investment.

The Company utilizes a multi-level risk management structure, whereby critical exposure limits, return requirement guidelines, capital at risk and key policies are established by the Executive Management and Board of Directors (Board), but day-to-day execution of risk assumption activities and related risk mitigation strategies are delegated to the business units. Reporting on risk management activities is integrated within the Company’s annual planning process, quarterly operations reports, periodic reports on exposures and large losses, and presentations to the Executive Management and Board. Individual business units employ, and are responsible for reporting on, operating risk management procedures and controls, while the Corporate Audit Group periodically tests these controls to ensure ongoing compliance. See Other Key Issues of Management—Risk Management in Item 7 of Part II of this report for a detailed discussion of the Company’s risk management.

Underwriting

The Company’s underwriting is conducted through specialized underwriting teams with the support of technical staff in disciplines such as actuarial, claims, legal, risk management and finance.

The Company’s underwriters generally speak the local language and/or are native to their country or area of specialization. They develop close working relationships with their ceding company counterparts and brokers through regular visits, gathering detailed information about the cedant’s business and local market conditions and practices. As part of the underwriting process, the underwriters also focus on the reputation and quality of the proposed cedant, the likelihood of establishing a long-term relationship with the cedant, the geographic area in which the cedant does business and the cedant’s market share, historical loss data for the cedant and, where available, historical loss data for the industry as a whole in the relevant regions, in order to compare the cedant’s historical loss experience to industry averages, and to gauge the perceived insurance and reinsurance expertise and financial strength of the cedant. The Company trains its underwriters extensively and strives to maintain continuity of underwriters within specific geographic markets and areas of specialty.

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Underwriting Risk and Exposure Controls

Because the Company underwrites volatile lines of business, such as catastrophe reinsurance, the operating results and financial condition of the Company can be adversely affected by catastrophes and other large losses that may give rise to claims under reinsurance coverages provided by the Company. The Company manages its exposure to catastrophic and other large losses by (i) attempting to limit its aggregate exposure on catastrophe reinsurance in any particular geographic zone, (ii) selective underwriting practices, (iii) diversification of risks by geographic area and by lines and classes of business, and (iv) to a limited extent by purchasing retrocessional reinsurance.

The Company generally underwrites risks with specified limits per treaty program. Like other reinsurance companies, the Company is exposed to multiple insured losses arising out of a single occurrence, whether a natural event such as hurricane, windstorm, flood or earthquake, or other man-made events. Any such catastrophic event could generate insured losses in one or many of the Company’s reinsurance treaties and facultative contracts in one or more lines of business. The Company considers such event scenarios as part of its evaluation and monitoring of its aggregate exposures to catastrophic events.

Retrocessions

The Company uses retrocessional agreements to a limited extent to reduce its exposure on certain specialty reinsurance risks assumed and to mitigate the effect of any single major event or the frequency of medium-sized events. These agreements provide for recovery of a portion of losses and loss expenses from retrocessionaires. The bulk of the retrocessional agreements currently in place cover the property exposures, predominantly catastrophe risks. The Company also utilizes retrocessions in the Life segment to manage the amount of per-event and per-life risks to which it is exposed. Retrocessionaires are selected based on their financial condition and business practices, with stability, solvency and credit ratings being important criteria.

The Company remains liable to its cedants to the extent that the retrocessionaires do not meet their obligations under retrocessional agreements, and therefore retrocessions are subject to credit risk in all cases and to aggregate loss limits in certain cases. The Company holds collateral, including escrow funds, securities and letters of credit under certain retrocessional agreements. Provisions are made for amounts considered potentially uncollectible and reinsurance losses recoverable from retrocessionaires are reported after allowances for uncollectible amounts. At December 31, 2010, the Company had $363 million of reinsurance recoverables under such arrangements.

In addition to the retrocessional agreements, Paris Re France has a Reserve Agreement in place with Colisée Re. See Summary of certain agreements between AXA SA, Colisée Re and Paris Re France above.

Claims

In addition to managing and settling reported claims and consulting with ceding companies on claims matters, the Company conducts periodic audits of specific claims and the overall claims procedures at the offices of ceding companies. The Company attempts to evaluate the ceding company’s claim adjusting techniques and reserve adequacy and whether it follows proper claims processing procedures. The Company also provides recommendations regarding procedures and processes to the ceding company.

Reserves

General

Loss reserves represent estimates of amounts an insurer or reinsurer ultimately expects to pay in the future on claims incurred at a given time, based on facts and circumstances known at the time that the loss reserves are established. It is possible that the total future payments may exceed, or be less than, such estimates. The estimates are not precise in that, among other things, they are based on predictions of future developments and

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estimates of future trends in claim severity, frequency and other variable factors such as inflation. During the loss settlement period, it often becomes necessary to refine and adjust the estimates of liability on a claim either upward or downward. Despite such adjustments, the ultimate future liability may exceed or be less than the revised estimates.

As part of the reserving process, insurers and reinsurers review historical data and anticipate the impact of various factors such as legislative enactments and judicial decisions that may affect potential losses from casualty claims, changes in social and political attitudes that may increase exposure to losses, mortality and morbidity trends and trends in general economic conditions. This process assumes that past experience, adjusted for the effects of current developments, is an appropriate basis for anticipating future events.

See Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates in Item 7 of Part II of this report for a discussion of the Company’s reserving process.

Reserve Agreement

See Summary of certain agreements between AXA SA, Colisée Re and Paris Re above.

Changes in Reserves

The below table shows the gross, retroceded and net reserves for unpaid losses and loss expenses for the Company’s Non-life business, and the portion of the gross, retroceded and net reserves that relates to the reserves subject to the Reserve Agreement (Guaranteed Reserves), as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 (in thousands of U.S. dollars):

The Guaranteed Reserves have been excluded from the following tables that analyze the development of the Company’s net reserves for unpaid losses and loss expenses for the Company’s Non-life business given the Reserve Agreement covers any adverse or favorable development related to the reserves acquired by Paris Re in the AXA acquisition, and therefore, they have no impact on the development of the Company’s gross and net reserves for unpaid losses and loss expenses.

The following table shows the development of net reserves for unpaid losses and loss expenses for the Company’s Non-life business, excluding Guaranteed Reserves. The table begins by showing the initial reported year-end gross and net reserves, including incurred but not reported (IBNR) reserves, recorded at the balance sheet date for each of the ten years presented.

The next section of the table shows the re-estimated amount of the initial reported net reserves, excluding Guaranteed Reserves, for up to ten subsequent years, based on experience at the end of each subsequent year. The re-estimated net liabilities reflect additional information, received from cedants or obtained through reviews of industry trends, regarding claims incurred prior to the end of the preceding financial year. A redundancy (or deficiency) arises when the re-estimation of reserves is less (or greater) than its estimation at the preceding year-

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end. The cumulative redundancies (or deficiencies) reflect cumulative differences between the initial reported net reserves and the currently re-estimated net reserves. Annual changes in the estimates are reflected in the income statement for each year as the liabilities are re-estimated. Reserves denominated in foreign currencies are revalued at each year-end’s foreign exchange rates.

The lower section of the table shows the portion of the initial year-end net reserves, excluding Guaranteed Reserves, that was paid (claims paid) as of the end of subsequent years. This section of the table provides an indication of the portion of the re-estimated net liability that is settled and is unlikely to develop in the future. Claims paid are converted to U.S. dollars at the average foreign exchange rates during the year of payment and are not revalued at the current year foreign exchange rates. Because claims paid in prior years are not revalued at the current year’s foreign exchange rates, the difference between the cumulative claims paid at the end of any given year and the immediately previous year represents the claims paid during the year.

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Development of Loss and Loss Expense Reserves (Excluding Guaranteed Reserves subject to the Reserve Agreement)

(in thousands of U.S. dollars)

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The following table provides a reconciliation of the Company’s re-estimated gross year-end reserves with the re-estimated net year-end reserves as of December 31, 2010 provided above (in thousands of U.S. dollars):

The Company’s reserve development is composed of the change in ultimate losses from what the Company originally estimated as well as the impact of the foreign exchange revaluation on reserves. The Company conducts its reinsurance operations in a variety of non-U.S. currencies and records its net reserves in the currency of the treaty, with the principal exposures being the euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc and Singapore dollar. The impact of reporting the Company’s net reserves based on the foreign exchange rates at the balance sheet date can be a significant component of the cumulative (deficiency) redundancy in net reserves and in some years can be the principal component. The following table provides the amount of foreign exchange included in the cumulative net (deficiency) redundancy reported above as well as the net (deficiency) redundancy excluding the impact of foreign exchange movements on net reserves (in thousands of U.S. dollars):

Movements in foreign exchange rates between accounting periods have typically resulted in significant variations in the loss reserves of the Company as the U.S. dollar, the Company’s reporting currency, appreciated/depreciated against multiple currencies. The Company, however, generally holds investments in the same currencies as its net reserves, with the intent of matching the foreign exchange movements on its assets and liabilities. See Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk contained in Item 7A of Part II of this report for a discussion of the foreign currency risk of the Company’s assets and liabilities.

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The Company believes that in order to enhance the understanding of its reserve development, it is useful for investors to evaluate the Company’s reserve development excluding the impact of foreign exchange. The following table shows the development of initial net reserves converted at each year’s average foreign exchange rates (in thousands of U.S. dollars). Using the historical average foreign exchange rates for the development lines of the table has the effect of linking each year’s development with that year’s income statement. This table should not be considered as a substitute for the table provided above as it does not reflect a significant portion of the initial net reserve development that is due to foreign exchange revaluation.

The following table summarizes the net incurred losses for the year ended December 31, 2010 relating to the current and prior accident years by sub-segment for the Company’s Non-life operations (in millions of U.S. dollars):

The net favorable loss development on prior accident years of $478 million for the year ended December 31, 2010 resulted from a reassessment of the Company’s total Non-life reserves of approximately $485 million, predominately due to favorable loss emergence, as losses reported by cedants, including treaties where the risk period expired, were lower than expected. This decrease in the loss reserves was partially offset by $7 million related to change in exposure due to upward premium adjustments during the year ended December 31, 2010.

See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for a discussion of net prior year reserve development by sub-segment and Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates—Losses and Loss Expenses and Life Policy Benefits in Item 7 of Part II of this report for a discussion of the net prior year reserve development by reserving lines for the Company’s Non-life and Life operations.

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Other Exposures

The Company’s reserve for unpaid losses and loss expenses as of December 31, 2010 includes reserves that are difficult to estimate using traditional reserving methodologies. See Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates—Losses and Loss Expenses and Life Policy Benefits in Item 7 of Part II of this report for additional information regarding the Company’s exposure to claims arising from the recent financial crisis, as well as asbestos and environmental exposures.

There can be no assurance that the reserves established by the Company will not be adversely affected by development of other latent exposures, and further, there can be no assurance that the reserves established by the Company will be adequate. However, they represent Management’s best estimate for ultimate losses based on available information at this time.

Investments and Funds Held—Directly Managed

The Company has developed specific investment objectives and guidelines for the management of its investment portfolio and the funds held – directly managed account. These objectives and guidelines stress diversification of risk, matching of the underlying liability payments, low credit risk and stability of portfolio income. Despite the prudent focus of these objectives and guidelines, the Company’s investments are subject to general market risk, as well as to risks inherent in particular securities.

The Company’s investment strategy is largely consistent with previous years. To ensure that the Company will have sufficient assets to pay its clients’ claims, the Company’s investment philosophy distinguishes between those assets, including the funds held – directly managed account, that are matched against existing liabilities (liability funds) and those that represent shareholders’ equity (capital funds). Liability funds are invested in high quality fixed income securities. Capital funds are available for investing in a broadly diversified portfolio, which includes investments in preferred and common stocks, private bond and equity investments, investment grade and below investment grade securities and other asset classes that offer potentially higher returns.

The investment portfolio is divided and managed by strategy and legal entity. Each segregated portfolio is managed against a specific benchmark to properly control the risk of each portfolio as well as the aggregate risks of the combined portfolio. The performance of each portfolio and the aggregate investment portfolio is measured against several benchmarks to ensure that they have the appropriate risk and return characteristics.

In order to manage the risks of the investment portfolio, several controls are in place. First, the overall duration (interest rate risk) of the portfolio is managed relative to the duration of the net reinsurance liabilities, defined as reinsurance liabilities net of all reinsurance assets, so that the economic value of changes in interest rates have offsetting effects on the Company’s assets and liabilities. To ensure diversification and avoid aggregation of risks, limits on assets types, economic sector exposure, industry exposure and individual security exposure are placed on the investment portfolio. These exposures are monitored on an ongoing basis and reported at least quarterly to the Risk Management and Finance Committee of the Board.

See Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk in Item 7A of Part II of this report for a discussion of the Company’s interest rate, equity and currency management strategies and Summary of certain agreements between AXA SA, Colisée Re and Paris Re above for a discussion of the funds held – directly managed account.

Competition

The Company competes with other reinsurers, some of which have greater financial, marketing and management resources than the Company, and it also competes with new market entrants. Competition in the types of reinsurance that the Company underwrites is based on many factors, including the perceived financial

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strength of the reinsurer, pricing and other terms and conditions, services provided, ratings assigned by independent rating agencies, speed of claims payment and reputation and experience in the lines of reinsurance to be written.

The Company’s competitors include independent reinsurance companies, subsidiaries or affiliates of established worldwide insurance companies, and reinsurance departments of certain primary insurance companies. Management believes that the Company’s major competitors are the larger European, U.S. and Bermuda-based international reinsurance companies, as well as specialty reinsurers and regional companies in certain local markets.

Management believes the Company ranks among the world’s largest professional reinsurers and is well positioned in terms of client services and underwriting expertise. Furthermore, the Company’s capitalization and strong financial ratios allow the Company to offer security to its clients.

Employees

The Company had 1,379 employees at December 31, 2010. Included in this number are approximately 100 employees that participated in the voluntary plan (see Overview in Item 7 of Part II of this report) and with expected leaving dates through mid 2012. The Company may increase its staff over time commensurate with the expansion of operation. The Company believes that its relations with its employees are good.

Regulation

The business of reinsurance is now regulated in all countries in which we operate, although the degree and type of regulation varies significantly from one jurisdiction to another. Some jurisdictions impose complex regulatory requirements on insurance businesses while other jurisdictions impose fewer requirements. In certain foreign countries, reinsurers are required to be licensed by governmental authorities. These licenses may be subject to modification, suspension or revocation dependent on such factors as amount and types of reserves and minimum capital and solvency tests. The violation of regulatory requirements may result in fines, censures and/or criminal sanctions in various jurisdictions. As a holding company, PartnerRe is not subject to Bermuda insurance regulations, but its various material operating subsidiaries are subject to regulation as follows:

Bermuda

The Insurance Act 1978 of Bermuda and related regulations, as amended (the Insurance Act), regulates the insurance business of PartnerRe Bermuda and provides that no person may carry on any insurance business in or from within Bermuda unless registered as an insurer by the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA). The Insurance Acts make no distinction between insurance and reinsurance business. The Insurance Act imposes solvency and liquidity standards and auditing and reporting requirements on Bermuda insurance companies and grants the BMA powers to supervise, investigate and intervene in the affairs of insurance companies.

In 2008, the Bermuda insurance supervisory framework underwent major revision with the passage of the Insurance Amendment Act 2008 (the Amendment Act). The Amendment Act established new risk-based regulatory capital adequacy and solvency margin requirements for Bermuda insurers.

As a Class 4 insurer, PartnerRe Bermuda must prepare annual statutory financial statements and file them with the BMA, together with audited annual financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or any such other GAAP as the BMA may recognize. These audited financials are made public by the BMA. The Insurance Act prescribes rules for the preparation and content of the statutory financial statements and are distinct from the financial statements prepared for presentation to an insurer’s shareholders under the Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda (the Companies Act). PartnerRe Bermuda is required to give detailed information and analyses regarding premiums, claims, reinsurance and investments. The most significant aspect of the amended regulations in relation to the statutory

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balance sheet of PartnerRe Bermuda is the reporting obligation to detail, on a line-by-line basis, specific asset and liability classes, as well as the requirement to identify and distinguish between what is or is not attributable to affiliates of PartnerRe Bermuda.

Under the new regulatory framework, the BMA promulgated the Insurance (Prudential Standards) (Class 4 Solvency Requirement) Order 2008 (the Order) which, inter alia, mandates that a Class 4 insurer’s Enhanced Capital Requirement (ECR) be calculated by either (a) the model set out in Schedule 1 to the Order, or (b) an internal capital model which the BMA has approved for use for this purpose. PartnerRe Bermuda uses the BMA model in calculating its solvency requirements.

The new risk-based regulatory capital adequacy and solvency margin regime provides a risk-based capital model (termed the Bermuda Solvency Capital Requirement (BSCR)) as a tool to assist the BMA both in measuring risk and in determining appropriate levels of capitalization. The BSCR employs a standard mathematical model that correlates the risk underwritten by Bermuda insurers to the capital that is dedicated to their business. The framework that has been developed applies a standard measurement format to the risk associated with an insurer’s assets, liabilities and premiums, including a formula to take account of catastrophe risk exposure.

In order to minimize the risk of a shortfall in capital arising from an unexpected adverse deviation and in moving towards the implementation of a risk-based capital approach, the BMA requires that insurers operate at or above a threshold capital level (termed the Target Capital Level (TCL)), which exceeds the BSCR or approved internal model minimum amounts.

These capital requirements require Class 4 insurers to hold available statutory capital and surplus equal to or exceeding ECR and set TCL at 120% of ECR. The BMA also has a degree of discretion enabling it to impose ECR on insurers in particular cases, for instance where an insurer falls below the TCL. While it must calculate its ECR annually by reference to either the BSCR or an approved internal model, a Class 4 insurer such as PartnerRe Bermuda must also ensure that, at all times, its ECR is at least equal to the minimum solvency margin for a Class 4 insurer in respect of its general business, which is the greater of:

Under the Insurance Act, Class 4 insurers are prohibited from declaring or paying any dividends of more than 25% of its total statutory capital and surplus, as shown in its previous financial year statutory balance sheet, unless at least seven days before payment of the dividends it files with the BMA an affidavit that it will continue to meet its required solvency margins. In addition, Class 4 insurers must obtain the BMA’s prior approval before reducing its total statutory capital, as shown in its previous financial year statutory balance sheet, by 15% or more.

Furthermore, under the Companies Act, PartnerRe Bermuda may only declare and pay a dividend from retained earnings, and a dividend or distribution from contributed surplus if it has no reasonable grounds for believing that it is, or would after the payment be, unable to pay its liabilities as they become due, or if the realizable value of its assets would not be less than the aggregate of its liabilities and its issued share capital and share premium accounts.

PartnerRe Bermuda is required to maintain the value of its relevant assets at not less than 75% of the amount of its relevant liabilities. Relevant assets include, but are not limited to, cash and time deposits, quoted investments, unquoted bonds and debentures, first liens on real estate, investment income due and accrued, accounts and premiums receivable, reinsurance balances receivable and funds held by ceding reinsurers. There

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are certain categories of assets which, unless specifically permitted by the BMA, do not automatically qualify as relevant assets, such as unquoted equity securities, investments in and advances to affiliates and real estate and collateral loans. The relevant liabilities are total general business insurance reserves and total other liabilities less deferred income tax and sundry liabilities (by interpretation, those not specifically defined), letters of credit and guarantees.

Current international initiatives in the regulation of global insurance and reinsurance groups, such as the European Union’s Solvency II initiative, are trending towards the imposition of group supervisory regimes, introducing one principal “home” regulator over all the operating entities in a particular insurance or reinsurance group. The determination of which regulator will assume the role of the Company’s group supervisor will be made following a consultation with the Company and between regulators. In February 2011, the Company received an advice from the BMA proposing that it is appropriate for the BMA to be the Group Supervisor of the PartnerRe group.

PartnerRe Bermuda has branches in Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong and Labuan and the operations of these branches are all subject to Bermuda regulations. In addition to Bermuda regulations, the Canadian branch is subject to regulation by The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, Canada, the Singapore branch is subject to regulation by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Hong Kong branch is subject to regulation under both the Insurance Companies Ordinance of Hong Kong and the Companies Ordinance of Hong Kong and the Labuan branch is subject to regulation by the Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority, Malaysia. For a further discussion of the regulations pertaining to the Canadian branch see below.

Ireland

PartnerRe Holdings Europe Limited is a holding company for PartnerRe Europe and PartnerRe Ireland Insurance Limited (PartnerRe Ireland Insurance). As a holding company, PartnerRe Holdings Europe Limited is not subject to regulation by the Central Bank of Ireland (the Central Bank).

PartnerRe Ireland Insurance is a non-life insurance company incorporated under the laws of Ireland. It is subject to the regulation and supervision of the Central Bank pursuant to the Irish Insurance Acts 1909 to 2000, regulations relating to insurance business made under those Acts or under the European Communities Act, 1972 and the Central Bank Acts, 1942 to 2010 and the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Acts 2003 and 2004 (together, the Insurance Acts and Regulations). PartnerRe Ireland Insurance was authorized in April 2005 to undertake the business of non-life insurance in various classes of business. PartnerRe Ireland Insurance is required to maintain technical reserves as provided for in the Insurance Acts and Regulations. Assets representing its technical reserves are required to cover PartnerRe Ireland Insurance’s calculated underwriting liabilities. In addition to filing various regulatory returns with the Central Bank, PartnerRe Ireland Insurance is obligated to prepare annual accounts in accordance with the provisions of the European Communities (Insurance Undertakings: Accounts) Regulations, 1996 (the Insurance Accounts Regulations) as amended. The accounts must be filed with the Central Bank and with the Registrar of Companies in Ireland. Additionally, PartnerRe Ireland Insurance is required to establish and maintain an adequate solvency margin and a minimum guarantee fund, both of which must be free from all foreseeable liabilities.

PartnerRe Europe is a reinsurance company incorporated under the laws of Ireland. Legislation transposing the Reinsurance Directive was signed into Irish law on July 15, 2006 as the European Communities (Reinsurance) Regulations 2006 (the Regulations). Under the Regulations, all Irish reinsurers established before December 10, 2005 are deemed to be authorized under the Regulations, subject to complying with certain requirements not later than December 10, 2007. PartnerRe Europe has fully complied with the requirements set out in the Regulations and has received formal recognition from the Central Bank that it is duly authorized as a reinsurance undertaking to carry on reinsurance business in accordance with the Regulations. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the establishment of technical provisions and reserves, investment of assets, maintaining an appropriate solvency margin and maintenance of a guarantee fund. Effective January 1, 2008, the Company underwent a restructuring of its European operations and PartnerRe Europe became the single operating platform in Europe. Pursuant to this reorganization, PartnerRe SA transferred all of its reinsurance

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business, assets and liabilities to the French branch of PartnerRe Europe and ceased its underwriting operations. PartnerRe Europe has established branches in France, Switzerland, Canada and Singapore and a representative office in Brazil. PartnerRe Europe and the Swiss, Canadian, French and Singapore branches are subject to Irish insurance supervision regulations. The Canadian branch is also subject to regulation in Canada and the Singapore branch is subject to regulation by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. For a further discussion of the regulations pertaining to the Canadian branch see below.

Pursuant to Irish company law, PartnerRe Europe is restricted to declaring dividends only out of “profits available for distribution”. Profits available for distribution are a company’s accumulated realized profits less its accumulated realized losses. Such profits may not include profits previously utilized.

United States

PartnerRe U.S. Corporation is a Delaware domiciled holding company for its wholly owned re/insurance subsidiaries, PartnerRe U.S. and PartnerRe Insurance Company of New York (PRNY) (PartnerRe U.S. and PRNY together being the PartnerRe U.S. Insurance Companies). The PartnerRe U.S. Insurance Companies are subject to regulation under the insurance statutes and regulations of their domiciliary state, New York, and all states where they are licensed, accredited or approved to underwrite reinsurance. Currently, the PartnerRe U.S. Insurance Companies are licensed, accredited or approved reinsurers and/or insurers in fifty states and the District of Columbia.

Regulations vary from state to state, but generally require insurance holding companies and insurers and reinsurers that are subsidiaries of insurance holding companies to register and file with their state domiciliary regulatory authorities certain reports, including information concerning their capital structure, ownership, financial condition and general business operations. State regulatory authorities monitor compliance with, and periodically conduct examinations with respect to, state mandated standards of solvency, licensing requirements, investment limitations, and restrictions on the size of risks which may be reinsured, deposits of securities for the benefit of reinsureds, methods of accounting for assets, reserves for unearned premiums and losses, and other purposes. In general, such regulations are for the protection of reinsureds and, ultimately, their policyholders, rather than security holders. In the U.S., the Company’s current domiciliary regulator is the New York Superintendent of Insurance.

Under New York law, the New York Superintendent of Insurance must approve any dividend declared or paid by the PartnerRe U.S. Insurance Companies that, together with all dividends declared or distributed by each of them during the preceding twelve months, exceeds the lesser of 10% of their respective statutory surplus as shown on the latest statutory financial statements on file with the New York Superintendent of Insurance, or 100% of their respective adjusted net investment income during that period. New York does not permit a dividend to be declared or distributed, except out of earned surplus.

State laws also require prior notice and/or regulatory approval of changes in control of an insurer or its holding company and of certain inter-company transfers of assets, payments of dividends and certain other transactions among affiliates, as well as any material changes within the holding company structure. The insurance laws of the state of domicile of the PartnerRe U.S. Insurance Companies provide that no corporation or other person except an authorized insurer may acquire control of a domestic insurance or reinsurance company unless it has given notice to such company and obtained prior written approval of the applicable state’s chief insurance regulator. Any purchaser of 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of PartnerRe (the ultimate parent company of the PartnerRe U.S. Insurance Companies) could become subject to such change of control regulations and would be required to file certain notices and reports with the Superintendent of the New York Insurance Department prior to such acquisition.

A committee of state insurance regulators developed the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Insurance Regulatory Information System (IRIS) primarily to assist state insurance departments in executing their statutory mandates to oversee the financial condition of insurance or reinsurance companies

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operating in their respective states. IRIS identifies thirteen industry ratios and specifies usual values for each ratio. Generally, a company will become subject to regulatory scrutiny if it falls outside the usual ranges with respect to four or more of the ratios, and regulators may then act, if the company has insufficient capital, to constrain the company’s underwriting capacity. No such action has been taken with respect to the PartnerRe U.S. Insurance Companies.

The Risk-Based Capital (RBC) for Insurers Model Act (the Model RBC Act), as it applies to property and casualty insurers and reinsurers, was initially adopted by the NAIC in December 1993. The Model RBC Act or similar legislation has been adopted by the majority of states in the U.S. The main purpose of the Model RBC Act is to provide a tool for insurance regulators to evaluate the capital of insurers with respect to the risks assumed by them and to determine whether there is a need for possible corrective action. U.S. insurers and reinsurers are required to report the results of their RBC calculations as part of the statutory annual statements that such insurers and reinsurers file with state insurance regulatory authorities. The Model RBC Act provides for four different levels of regulatory actions, each of which may be triggered if an insurer’s Total Adjusted Capital (as defined in the Model RBC Act) is less than a corresponding level of risk-based capital. The Company Action Level is triggered if an insurer’s Total Adjusted Capital is less than 200% of its Authorized Control Level RBC (as defined in the Model RBC Act). At the Company Action Level, the insurer must submit a risk-based capital plan to the regulatory authority that discusses proposed corrective actions to improve its capital position. The Regulatory Action Level is triggered if an insurer’s Total Adjusted Capital is less than 150% of its Authorized Control Level RBC. At the Regulatory Action Level, the regulatory authority will perform a special examination of the insurer and issue an order specifying corrective actions that must be followed. The Authorized Control Level is triggered if an insurer’s Total Adjusted Capital is less than 100% of its Authorized Control Level RBC, and at that level, the regulatory authority is authorized (although not mandated) to take regulatory control of the insurer. The Mandatory Control Level is triggered if an insurer’s Total Adjusted Capital is less than 70% of its Authorized Control Level RBC, and at that level, the regulatory authority is required to take regulatory control of the insurer. Regulatory control may lead to rehabilitation or liquidation of an insurer. At December 31, 2010, the Total Adjusted Capital of the PartnerRe U.S. Insurance Companies exceeded applicable RBC levels.

Canada

Each of the Canadian branches of PartnerRe Europe and PartnerRe U.S. holds a license to write property and casualty reinsurance business in Canada and are licensed in Ontario and Quebec. The Canadian branch of PartnerRe Bermuda holds a license to write life business in Canada and is licensed in Ontario. Prior to the acquisition, Paris Re France did carry on property and casualty operations in Canada through its branch located in Quebec. In October 2010, the Canadian branch of Paris Re France was merged into the Canadian branch of PartnerRe Europe which is now licensed in Ontario and Quebec. As of January 2011, the Canadian branch of PartnerRe U.S. assumed all of the reinsurance obligations of the Canadian branch of PartnerRe Europe. Each Canadian branch is authorized to insure, in Canada, risks falling within the classes of insurance as specified in their respective licenses and is limited to the business of reinsurance. Each Canadian branch is subject to local regulation for its Canadian branch business, specified principally pursuant to Part XIII of the Insurance Companies Act (the Act) applicable to Foreign Property and Casualty Companies and to Foreign Life Companies. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, Canada (OSFI) supervises the application of the Act. PartnerRe U.S., PartnerRe Bermuda and PartnerRe Europe maintain sufficient assets, vested in trust at a Canadian financial institution approved by OSFI, to allow their branches to meet minimum statutory solvency requirements as required by the Act and the regulations made under it. Statutory information required by federal and provincial insurance regulators for both property and casualty and life business includes (1) a yearly business plan, (2) quarterly and year-end returns including general information, financial statements, statutory compliance reports and various investment, technical and other information, (3) an auditor’s report for the Canadian branch, (4) an opinion of an Appointed Actuary of the Canadian branch on the adequacy of the reserves and (5) an annual Dynamic Capital Adequacy Test (DCAT) report from the Appointed Actuary of the Canadian branch that tests the adequacy of the assets that are vested under various adverse scenarios.

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Taxation of the Company and its Subsidiaries

The following summary of the taxation of the Company, PartnerRe Bermuda, PartnerRe Europe and the PartnerRe U.S. Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively PartnerRe U.S. Companies) is based upon current law. Legislative, judicial or administrative changes may be forthcoming that could affect this summary. Certain subsidiaries, branch offices and representative offices of the Company are subject to taxation related to operations in Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Labuan, Mexico, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States. The discussion below covers the significant locations for which the Company or its subsidiaries are subject to taxation.

Bermuda

The Company and PartnerRe Bermuda have each received from the Minister of Finance an assurance under The Exempted Undertakings Tax Protection Act, 1966 of Bermuda, to the effect that in the event that there is any legislation enacted in Bermuda imposing tax computed on profits or income, or computed on any capital asset, gain or appreciation, or any tax in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax, then the imposition of any such tax shall not be applicable to the Company or PartnerRe Bermuda or to any of their operations or the shares, debentures or other obligations of the Company or PartnerRe Bermuda until March 28, 2016. The Ministry of Finance has recently indicated that this exemption will be extended to 2035. The relevant legislation which will effect this change has been tabled in Parliament for approval. These assurances are subject to the proviso that they are not construed to prevent the application of any tax or duty to such persons as are ordinarily resident in Bermuda (the Company and PartnerRe Bermuda are not currently so designated) or to prevent the application of any tax payable in accordance with the provisions of The Land Tax Act, 1967 of Bermuda or otherwise payable in relation to the property leased to PartnerRe Bermuda.

Canada

The Canadian non-life branch of PartnerRe Europe and the Canadian life branch of PartnerRe Bermuda are subject to Canadian taxation on their profits. The Canadian non-life branch of Paris Re France was subject to Canadian taxation on its profits until September 30, 2010, when it was merged into the non-life branch of PartnerRe Europe. The Canadian non-life branch of PartnerRe U.S. Corporation is subject to Canadian taxation on its profits from January 1, 2011. The profits of the Canadian branches of Partner Re Europe and PartnerRe Bermuda are taxed at the federal level as well as the Ontario-provincial level at a total rate that was 30.79% in 2010. Canada has enacted a phased-in decrease of the Federal income tax rate; combined with the phased-in decrease of the income tax rate in the Province of Ontario, the total rate will be 28.25% in 2011, 26.25% in 2012, 25.50% in 2013, and 25.00% on 2014. See also the discussion of taxation in Ireland below.

The Canadian non-life branch of PartnerRe Europe and the Canadian non-life branch of PartnerRe U.S. Corporation are subject to taxation on their profits at the federal level as well as the Ontario and Quebec provincial level from October 1, 2010 and since January 1, 2011, respectively. The total rate was an average comprised between 30.33% and 30.79% in 2010. We expect this rate to decrease through 2014, however, the exact rate cannot be determined at this time since the branches operates in both Ontario and Quebec.

France

The French branch of PartnerRe Europe is conducting business in and is subject to taxation in France. The current statutory rate of tax on corporate profits in France is 34.43%. See also the discussion of taxation in Ireland below.

Ireland

The Company’s Irish subsidiaries, PartnerRe Holdings Europe Ltd., PartnerRe Europe and PartnerRe Ireland Insurance Ltd, conduct business in and are subject to taxation in Ireland. Profits of an Irish trade or business are subject to Irish corporation tax at the rate of 12.5%, whereas profits arising from other than a trade

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or business are taxable at the rate of 25%. The Swiss, U.S. and French branches and Canadian non-life branch of PartnerRe Europe are subject to taxation in Ireland at the Irish corporation tax rate of 12.5%. However, under Irish domestic tax law, the amount of tax paid in Switzerland, the U.S., France and Canada can be credited or deducted against the Irish corporation tax. As a result, the Company does not expect to incur significant taxation in Ireland with respect to the Swiss, U.S., French and Canadian non-life branches.

United States

PartnerRe U.S. Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively the PartnerRe U.S. Companies) transact business in and are subject to taxation in the United States. The Company believes that it and its subsidiaries, other than the PartnerRe U.S. Companies, have operated and will continue to operate their business in a manner that will not cause them to be treated as engaged in a trade or business within the United States.

In addition, in 2010, PartnerRe Europe established a wholly-owned subsidiary in the state of Florida (PartnerRe Miami) which is taxable as a branch of PartnerRe Europe in the U.S. PartnerRe Miami is conducting business in and is subject to taxation in the United States. The current statutory rate of tax on corporate profits in the U.S. is 35%. See the discussion of U.S. branch taxation below and the discussion of taxation in Ireland above.

On this basis, the Company does not expect that it and its subsidiaries, other than the PartnerRe U.S. Companies and PartnerRe Miami, will be required to pay U.S. corporate income taxes (other than withholding taxes as described below). However, because there is considerable uncertainty as to the activities that constitute a trade or business in the United States, there can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) will not contend successfully that the Company or its non-U.S. subsidiaries are engaged in a trade or business in the United States. The maximum federal tax rate is currently 35% for a corporation’s income that is effectively connected with a trade or business in the United States. In addition, U.S. branches of foreign corporations may be subject to the branch profits tax, which imposes a tax on U.S. branch after-tax earnings that are deemed repatriated out of the United States, for a potential maximum effective federal tax rate of approximately 54% on the net income connected with a U.S. trade or business.

Foreign corporations not engaged in a trade or business in the United States are subject to U.S. income tax, effected through withholding by the payer, on certain fixed or determinable annual or periodic gains, profits and income derived from sources within the United States as enumerated in Section 881(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, such as dividends and interest on certain investments.

The United States also imposes an excise tax on insurance and reinsurance premiums paid to foreign insurers or reinsurers with respect to risks located in the United States. The rate of tax applicable to reinsurance premiums paid to PartnerRe Bermuda is 1% of gross premiums.

Where You Can Find More Information

The Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act are available free of charge through the investor information pages of its website, located at http://www.partnerre.com. Alternatively, the public may read or copy the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC (http://www.sec.gov). None of the information on the Company’s website or on the SEC’s website is incorporated into this report except to the extent explicitly incorporated by reference.

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Introduction

Current and potential investors in the Company should be aware that, as with any publicly traded company, investing in our securities carries risk. Managing risk effectively is paramount to our success, and our organization is built around intelligent risk assumptions and careful risk management, as evidenced by our development of the PartnerRe risk management framework, which provides an integrated approach to risk across the entire organization. We have identified what we believe reflect key significant risks to the organization, and in turn the shareholders. These risks should be read in conjunction with other Risk Factors described in more detail below under the heading Risk Factors.

First, in order to achieve our targeted growth in diluted book value per share of 10% a year, we believe we must be able to generate approximately 13% operating return on beginning shareholders’ equity. Our ability to do that over a reinsurance cycle is dependent on our individual performance, but also on industry factors that impact the level of competition and the level of cost. The level of competition is determined by supply and demand of capacity. Demand is determined by client buying behavior, which varies based on the client’s perception of the amount and volatility of risk, its financial capacity to bear it and the cost of risk transfer. Supply is determined by the existing reinsurance companies’ level of financial strength and the introduction of capacity from new start-ups or capital markets. Significant new capacity or significant reduction in demand will depress industry profitability until the supply/demand balance is redressed. Extended periods of imbalance could depress industry profitability to a point where we would fail to meet our targets.

Second, we knowingly expose ourselves to significant volatility in our quarterly and annual net income. We create shareholder value by assuming risk from the insurance and capital markets. This exposes us to volatile earnings as untoward events happen to our clients and in the capital markets. Examples of potential large loss events include, without limitation:

We manage large loss events through evaluation processes, which are designed to enable proper pricing of these risks over time, but which do little to moderate short-term earnings volatility. The only effective tool to manage earnings volatility is through diversification by building a portfolio of uncorrelated risks. We do not currently buy significant amounts of retrocessional coverage, nor do we use significant capital market hedges or trading strategies in the pursuit of stability in earnings.

Third, we expose ourselves to several very significant risks that are of a size that can impact our financial strength as measured by U.S. GAAP or regulatory capital. We believe that the following are categorized as very significant risks:

Each of these risks can accumulate to the point that they exceed a year’s worth of earnings and affect the capital base of the Company (for further information about these risks see Other Key Issues of Management—Risk Management in Item 7 of Part II of this report).

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We rely on our internal risk management processes, models and systems to manage these risks at the nominal exposure levels approved by the Company’s Board. However, because these models and processes may fail, we also impose limits on our exposure to these risks.

In addition to these enumerated risks, we face numerous other strategic and operational risks that could in the aggregate lead to shortfalls to our long-term goals or add to short-term volatility in our earnings. The following review of important risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with other cautionary statements that are included herein or elsewhere. The words or phrases believe, anticipate, estimate, project, plan, expect, intend, hope, forecast, evaluate, will likely result or will continue or words or phrases of similar import generally involve forward-looking statements. As used in these Risk Factors, the terms “we”, “our” or “us” may, depending upon the context, refer to the Company, to one or more of the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries or to all of them taken as a whole.

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Risk Factors

Our profitability is affected by the cyclical nature of the reinsurance industry.

Historically, the reinsurance industry has experienced significant fluctuations in operating results due to competition, levels of available capacity, trends in cash flows and losses, general economic conditions and other factors. Demand for reinsurance is influenced significantly by underwriting results of primary insurers, including catastrophe losses, and prevailing general economic conditions. The supply of reinsurance is related directly to prevailing prices and levels of capacity that, in turn, may fluctuate in response to changes in rates of return on investments being realized in the reinsurance industry. If any of these factors were to result in a decline in the demand for reinsurance or an overall increase in reinsurance capacity, our profitability could be impacted.

We operate in a highly competitive environment.

The reinsurance industry is highly competitive and we compete with a number of worldwide reinsurance companies, including, but not limited to, Everest Re, Hannover Re, SCOR, Transatlantic and reinsurance operations of certain primary insurance companies, such as Arch Capital, Axis Capital and XL Capital. Competition in the types of reinsurance that we underwrite is based on many factors, including the perceived financial strength of the reinsurer, pricing, terms and conditions offered, services provided, ratings assigned by independent rating agencies, speed of claims payment and experience in the lines of reinsurance to be written. If competitive pressures reduce our prices, we would expect to write less business. In addition, competition for customers would become more intense and we could incur additional expenses relating to customer acquisition and retention, further reducing our operating margins.

The current state of the economy and capital markets increases the possibility of adverse effects on our financial position and results of operations. Economic downturns could impair our investment portfolio and affect the primary insurance market, which could, in turn, harm our operating results and reduce our volume of new business.

During 2008 and continuing into 2009, the capital markets in the United States and abroad experienced a severe economic downturn and certain economies remain in recession. Disruptions in the capital markets increased the spread between the yields realized on risk-free and higher risk securities. While the increased spreads have reduced during the latter half of 2009 and in 2010, illiquidity remains in certain parts of the debt capital markets. The longer this economic dislocation persists, the greater the probability that these risks could have an adverse effect on our financial results. This may be evidenced in several ways including, but not limited to, a potential reduction in our premium income, financial losses in our investment portfolio and decreases in revenue and net income.

Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events could prevent us from increasing our underwriting activities and negatively impact our operating results. In addition, our cedants and other counterparties may be affected by such developments in the financial markets, which could adversely affect their ability to meet their obligations to us.

Political, regulatory, governmental and industry initiatives could adversely affect our business.

Our reinsurance operations are subject to extensive laws and regulations that are administered and enforced by a number of different governmental and non-governmental self-regulatory authorities in each of their respective jurisdictions. As a result of the current financial crisis, some of these authorities regularly consider enhanced or new regulatory requirements intended to prevent future crises or otherwise assure the stability of institutions under their supervision. These authorities may also seek to exercise their supervisory authority in new and more robust ways, and new regulators could become authorized to oversee parts of our business. For example, the European Union’s Solvency II initiative and the NAIC’s Solvency Modernization Initiative include

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meaningful changes in consolidated supervision and corporate governance requirements as they apply to insurance and reinsurance corporate groups, which could lead to increases in regulatory capital requirements, reduced operational flexibility and increased compliance costs. It is not possible to predict all future impacts of these types of changes but they could affect the way we conduct our business and manage our capital, and may require us to satisfy increased capital requirements, any of which, in turn, could affect our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. Our material subsidiaries’ regulatory environments are described in detail under the heading Regulation. Regulations relating to each of our material subsidiaries may in effect restrict each of those subsidiaries’ ability to write new business, to make certain investments and to distribute funds or assets to us.

Recent government intervention and the possibility of future government intervention have created uncertainty in the insurance and reinsurance markets. Government regulators are generally concerned with the protection of policyholders to the exclusion of others, including shareholders of reinsurers. In light of the current financial crisis, we believe it is likely there will be increased regulation of, and other forms of government participation in, our industry in the future, which could adversely affect our business by, among other things:

Such a federal initiative was put forward in response to the tightening of supply in certain insurance and reinsurance markets resulting from, among other things, the September 11th tragedy, and consequently the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA) was enacted to ensure the availability of commercial insurance coverage for certain types of terrorist acts in the U.S. In December 2007, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (TRIPRA) was enacted, which further renewed TRIA for another 7 years ending December 31, 2014.

Such a state initiative was put forward by the Florida Legislature in response to the tightening of supply in certain insurance and reinsurance markets in Florida resulting from, among other things, hurricane damage in Florida, which enacted the Hurricane Preparedness and Insurance Act to ensure the availability of catastrophe insurance coverage for catastrophes in the state of Florida.

The insurance industry is also affected by political, judicial and legal developments that may create new and expanded theories of liability, which may result in unexpected claim frequency and severity and delays or cancellations of products and services we provide, which could adversely affect our business.

We are unable to predict the effect that governmental actions for the purpose of stabilizing the financial markets will have on such markets generally or on the Company in particular.

In response to the financial crisis affecting the banking system and financial markets, the U.S. federal government and other governmental and regulatory bodies have taken or are considering taking other actions to address the governance of those industries that are viewed as presenting a systemic risk to economic stability. Such actions include the International Monetary Fund’s proposal to levy a financial stability tax on all financial institutions, the proposals for enhanced regulation and supervision contained in the recently published Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development paper on the impact of the financial crisis on the Insurance sector and the financial regulatory reform provisions contained within the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. We are unable to predict the effect that the enactment of any such proposals will have on the financial markets generally or on the Company’s competitive position, business and financial condition in particular, though we are monitoring these and similar proposals as they evolve.

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If we are downgraded by rating agencies by two notches or more, our standing with brokers and customers could be negatively impacted and may adversely impact our results of operations.

Third party rating agencies assess and rate the claims paying ability and financial strength of insurers and reinsurers, such as the Company’s principal operating subsidiaries. These ratings are based upon criteria established by the rating agencies and have become an important factor in establishing our competitive position in the market. They are not an evaluation directed to investors in our common shares, preferred shares or debt securities, and are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold our common shares, preferred shares or debt securities. Rating agencies may downgrade or withdraw their ratings at their sole discretion.

Our current financial strength ratings are:

If our ratings were significantly downgraded, by two notches or more, our competitive position in the reinsurance industry may suffer, and it could result in a reduction in demand for our products. In addition, certain business that we write contains terms that give the ceding company or derivative counterparty the right to terminate cover and/or require collateral if our ratings are downgraded significantly.

We may suffer losses due to defaults by others, including issuers of investment securities, reinsurance and derivative counterparties.

Issuers or borrowers whose securities we hold, reinsurers, clearing agents, clearing houses and other financial intermediaries may default on their obligations to us due to bankruptcy, insolvency, lack of liquidity, adverse economic conditions, fraud or other reasons. Our investment portfolio may include investment securities in the financial services sector that have recently experienced defaults. All or any of these types of default could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

The exposure of our investments to interest rate, credit and equity risks may limit our net income and may affect the adequacy of our capital.

We invest the net premiums we receive unless and until such time as we pay out losses and/or until they are made available for distribution to shareholders and /or otherwise used for general corporate purposes. Investment results comprise a substantial portion of our income. For the year ended December 31, 2010, we had net investment income of $673 million, which represented approximately 11% of total revenues. In addition, we recorded realized and unrealized gains on investments during 2010, and we record all realized and unrealized gains or losses through net income. While the Board has implemented what it believes to be prudent risk management and investment asset allocation practices, we are exposed to significant financial and capital market risks, including changes in interest rates, credit spreads, equity prices, foreign exchange rates, market volatility, the performance of the economy in general and other factors outside our control.

Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including fiscal and monetary policies of major economies, economic and political conditions and other factors outside our control. Changes in interest rates can negatively affect us in two ways. In a declining interest rate environment, we will be required to invest our funds at lower rates, which would have a negative impact on investment income. In a rising interest rate environment, the market value of our fixed income portfolio may decline.

Our fixed income portfolio is primarily invested in high quality, investment grade securities. However, we invest a portion of the portfolio in securities that are below investment grade, including high yield fixed income investments and convertible fixed income investments. We also invest a portion of our portfolio in other

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investments such as notes receivable, private placement bond investments, derivative exposure assumed and other specialty asset classes. These securities generally pay a higher rate of interest and have a higher degree of credit or default risk. These securities may also be less liquid in times of economic weakness or market disruptions.

We invest a portion of our portfolio in preferred and common stocks or equity-like securities. The value of these assets fluctuates with equity markets. In times of economic weakness, the market value and liquidity of these assets may decline, and may impact net income and capital.

We use the term equity-like investments to describe our investments that have market risk characteristics similar to equities and are not investment grade fixed income securities. This category includes high yield and convertible fixed income investments and private placement equity investments. Fluctuations in the fair value of our equity-like investments may reduce our income in any period or year and cause a reduction in our capital.

Since we rely on a few reinsurance brokers for a large percentage of our business, loss of business provided by these brokers could reduce our premium volume and net income.

We produce our business both through brokers and through direct relationships with insurance company clients. For the year ended December 31, 2010, approximately 73% of our gross premiums were produced through brokers. In 2010, we had two brokers that accounted for 46% of our gross premiums written. Because broker-produced business is concentrated with a small number of brokers, we are exposed to concentration risk. A significant reduction in the business produced by these brokers could potentially reduce our premium volume and net income.

We are exposed to credit risk relating to our reinsurance brokers and cedants.

In accordance with industry practice, we may pay amounts owed under our policies to brokers, and they in turn pay these amounts to the ceding insurer. In some jurisdictions, if the broker fails to make such an onward payment, we might remain liable to the ceding insurer for the deficiency. Conversely, the ceding insurer may pay premiums to the broker, for onward payment to us in respect of reinsurance policies issued by us. In certain jurisdictions, these premiums are considered to have been paid to us at the time that payment is made to the broker, and the ceding insurer will no longer be liable to us for those amounts, whether or not we have actually received the premiums. We may not be able to collect all premiums receivable due from any particular broker at any given time. We also assume credit risk by writing business on a funds withheld basis. Under such arrangements, the cedant retains the premium they would otherwise pay to us to cover future loss payments.

We may require additional capital in the future, which may not be available or may only be available on unfavorable terms.

Our future capital requirements depend on many factors, including our ability to write new business successfully, the frequency and severity of catastrophic events, and our ability to establish premium rates and reserves at levels sufficient to cover losses. We may need to raise additional funds through financings or curtail our growth and reduce our assets. Any equity or debt financing, if available at all, may be on terms that are not favorable to us. Equity financings could be dilutive to our existing shareholders and could result in the issuance of securities that have rights, preferences and privileges that are senior to those of our other securities. Financial markets in the U.S. and elsewhere have experienced extreme volatility and disruption in recent times, resulting in part from financial stresses affecting the liquidity of the banking system. Continued disruption in the financial markets may limit our ability to access capital required to operate our business and we may be forced to delay raising capital or bear a higher cost of capital, which could decrease our profitability and significantly reduce our financial flexibility. If we cannot obtain adequate capital on favorable terms or at all, our business, operating results and financial condition could be adversely affected.

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If actual losses exceed our estimated loss reserves, our net income and capital position will be reduced.

Our success depends upon our ability to accurately assess the risks associated with the businesses that we reinsure. We establish loss reserves to cover our estimated liability for the payment of all losses and loss expenses incurred with respect to premiums earned on the contracts that we write. Loss reserves are estimates involving actuarial and statistical projections at a given time to reflect our expectation of the costs of the ultimate settlement and administration of claims. Losses for casualty and liability lines often take a long time to be reported, and frequently can be impacted by lengthy, unpredictable litigation and by the inflation of loss costs over time. As a consequence, actual losses and loss expenses paid may deviate substantially from the reserve estimates reflected in our financial statements.

Although we did not operate prior to 1993, we assumed certain asbestos and environmental exposures through our acquisitions. Our reserves for losses and loss expenses include an estimate of our ultimate liability for asbestos and environmental claims for which we cannot estimate the ultimate value using traditional reserving techniques, and for which there are significant uncertainties in estimating the amount of our potential losses. Certain of our subsidiaries have received and continue to receive notices of potential reinsurance claims from ceding insurance companies, which have in turn received claims asserting asbestos and environmental losses under primary insurance policies, in part reinsured by us. Such claims notices are often precautionary in nature and are generally unspecific, and the primary insurers often do not attempt to quantify the amount, timing or nature of the exposure. Given the lack of specificity in some of these notices, and the legal and tort environment that affects the development of claims reserves, the uncertainties inherent in valuing asbestos and environmental claims are not likely to be resolved in the near future. In addition, the reserves that we have established may be inadequate. If ultimate losses and loss expenses exceed the reserves currently established, we will be required to increase loss reserves in the period in which we identify the deficiency to cover any such claims.

As a result, even when losses are identified and reserves are established for any line of business, ultimate losses and loss expenses (that is, the administrative costs of managing and settling claims) may deviate, perhaps substantially, from estimates reflected in loss reserves in our financial statements. Variations between our loss reserve estimates and actual emergence of losses could be material and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We may be adversely affected if Colisée Re, AXA or their affiliates fail to honor their obligations to Paris Re or its clients.

As part of the AXA Acquisition, Paris Re entered into the 2006 Acquisition Agreements. See Summary of certain agreements between AXA SA, Colisée Re and Paris Re in Item 1 of Part I of this report.

Pursuant to the Quota Share Retrocession Agreement, the benefits and risks of Colisée Re’s reinsurance agreements were ceded to Paris Re France (now PartnerRe Europe), but Colisée Re remains both the legal counterparty for all such reinsurance contracts and the legal holder of the assets relating to such reserves.

Under the Run Off Services and Management Agreement, Paris Re (now PartnerRe Europe) has agreed that AXA LM will manage claims arising from all reinsurance and retrocession contracts subject to the Reserve Agreement. If AXA LM does not take into account Paris Re France’s commercial concerns in the context of Paris Re France’s on-going business relations with the relevant ceding companies and retrocessionaires, our ability to renew reinsurance and retrocession contracts with them may be adversely affected.

There can be no assurance that our business activities, financial condition, results or future prospects may not be adversely affected in spite of the existence of the 2006 Acquisition Agreements. In general, if AXA or its affiliates breach or do not satisfy their obligations under the 2006 Acquisition Agreements (potentially as a result of insolvency or inability or unwillingness to make payments under the terms of the 2006 Acquisition Agreements), we could be materially adversely affected.

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The volatility of the catastrophe business that we underwrite will result in volatility of our earnings.

Catastrophe reinsurance comprises approximately 14% of our net premiums written and a larger percentage of our capital at risk. Catastrophe losses result from events such as windstorms, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, tropical cyclones, floods, hail, tornadoes, severe winter weather, fires, explosions and other man-made or natural disasters, the incidence and severity of which are inherently unpredictable. Because catastrophe reinsurance accumulates large aggregate exposures to man-made and natural disasters, our loss experience in this line of business could be characterized as low frequency and high severity. This is likely to result in substantial volatility in our financial results for any fiscal quarter or year, and may create downward pressure on the market price of our common shares and limit our ability to make dividend payments and payments on our debt securities.

Notwithstanding our endeavors to manage our exposure to catastrophic and other large losses, the effect of a single catastrophic event or series of events affecting one or more geographic zones, or changes in the relative frequency or severity of catastrophic or other large loss events, could reduce our earnings and limit the funds available to make payments on future claims. The effect of an increase in frequency of mid-size losses in any one reporting period affecting one or more geographic zones, such as an unusual level of hurricane activity, could also reduce our earnings. Should we incur more than one very large catastrophe loss, our ability to write future business may be adversely impacted if we are unable to replenish our capital.

By way of illustration, during the past five calendar years, the Company incurred the following pre-tax large catastrophe losses, net of reinstatement premiums (in millions of U.S. dollars):

Subsequent to the completion of the Paris Re acquisition, our exposure to natural and man-made disasters may be different than our historical exposure and may have increased.

The loss incurred in 2007 was as the result of one large catastrophe event, whereas the losses in 2010 and 2008 were incurred as the result of multiple catastrophic events, which included the Chile Earthquake and New Zealand Earthquake in 2010. Loss estimates arising from earthquakes are inherently more uncertain than those from other catastrophic events and the Company’s actual losses from these earthquakes may exceed the estimated losses as a result of, among other things, an increase in industry insured loss estimates, the expected lengthy claims development period, in particular for earthquake related losses, and the receipt of additional information from cedants, brokers and loss adjusters.

We believe, and recent scientific studies have indicated, that the frequency of Atlantic basin hurricanes has increased and may change further in the future relative to the historical experience over the past 100 years. As a result of changing climate conditions, such as global warming, there may be increases in the frequency and severity of natural catastrophes and the losses that result from them. We monitor and adjust, as we believe appropriate, our risk management models to reflect our judgment of how to interpret current developments and information, such as these studies.

We could face unanticipated losses from man-made catastrophic events and these or other unanticipated losses could impair our financial condition, reduce our profitability and decrease the market price of our shares.

We may have substantial exposure to unexpected, large losses resulting from future man-made catastrophic events, such as acts of terrorism, acts of war and political instability, or from other perils. Although we may

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attempt to exclude losses from terrorism and certain other similar risks from some coverage we write, we may continue to have exposure to such unforeseen or unpredictable events. This may be because, irrespective of the clarity and inclusiveness of policy language, there can be no assurance that a court or arbitration panel will not limit enforceability of policy language or otherwise issue a ruling adverse to us.

It is also difficult to predict the timing of such events with statistical certainty, or estimate the amount of loss any given occurrence will generate. Under U.S. GAAP, we are not permitted to establish reserves for potential losses associated with man-made or other catastrophic events until an event that may give rise to such losses occurs. If such an event were to occur, our reported income would decrease in the affected period. In particular, unforeseen large losses could reduce our profitability or impair our financial condition.

Our debt, credit and International Swap Dealers Association (ISDA) agreements may limit our financial and operational flexibility, which may affect our ability to conduct our business.

We have incurred indebtedness, and may incur additional indebtedness in the future. Additionally, we have entered into credit facilities and ISDA agreements with various institutions. Under these credit facilities, the institutions provide revolving lines of credit to us and our major operating subsidiaries and issue letters of credit to our clients in the ordinary course of business.

The agreements relating to our debt, credit facilities and ISDA agreements contain various covenants that may limit our ability, among other things, to borrow money, make particular types of investments or other restricted payments, sell assets, merge or consolidate. Some of these agreements also require us to maintain specified ratings and financial ratios, including a minimum net worth covenant. If we fail to comply with these covenants or meet required financial ratios, the lenders or counterparties under these agreements could declare a default and demand immediate repayment of all amounts owed to them.

If we are in default under the terms of these agreements, then we would also be restricted in our ability to declare or pay any dividends, redeem, purchase or acquire any shares or make a liquidation payment.

If any one of the financial institutions that we use in our operations, including those that participate in our credit facilities, fails or is otherwise unable to meet their commitments, we could incur substantial losses and reduced liquidity.

We maintain cash balances significantly in excess of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limits at various depository institutions. We also have funding commitments from a number of banks and financial institutions that participate in our credit facilities. See Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Credit Facilities. Access to funds under these existing credit facilities is dependent on the ability of the banks that are parties to the facilities to meet their funding requirements. Those banks may not be able to meet their funding requirements if they experience shortages of capital and liquidity or if they experience excessive volumes of borrowing requests within a short period of time, and we might be forced to replace credit sources in a difficult market. There have also been recent consolidations in the banking industry which could lead to increased reliance on and exposure to a limited number of institutions. If we cannot obtain adequate financing or sources of credit on favorable terms, or at all, our business, operating results and financial condition could be adversely impacted.

Changes in current accounting practices and future pronouncements may materially impact our reported financial results.

Developments in accounting practices, for example a convergence of U.S. GAAP with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), may require considerable additional expense to comply, particularly if we are required to prepare information relating to prior periods for comparative purposes or to apply the new requirements retroactively. The impact of changes in current accounting practices and future pronouncements

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cannot be predicted and may be significant. The impact may affect the results of our operations, including among other things, the calculation of net income, and may affect our financial position, including among other things, the calculation of unpaid losses and loss expenses, policy benefits for life and annuity contracts and total shareholders’ equity.

Legal and enforcement activities relating to the insurance industry could affect our business and our industry.

The insurance industry has experienced substantial volatility as a result of litigation, investigations and regulatory activity by various insurance, governmental and enforcement authorities concerning certain practices within the insurance industry. These practices include the accounting treatment for finite reinsurance or other non-traditional or loss mitigation insurance and reinsurance products.

These investigations have resulted in changes in the insurance and reinsurance markets and industry business practices. While at this time, none of these changes have caused an adverse effect on our business, we are unable to predict the potential effects, if any, that future investigations may have upon our industry.

Emerging claim and coverage issues could adversely affect our business.

Unanticipated developments in the law, as well as changes in social and environmental conditions could potentially result in unexpected claims for coverage under our insurance, reinsurance and other contracts. These developments and changes may adversely affect our business by either extending coverage beyond our underwriting intent or by increasing the number or size of claims. With respect to our casualty businesses, these legal, social and environmental changes may not become apparent until some time after their occurrence. Our exposure to these uncertainties could be exacerbated by an increase in insurance and reinsurance contract disputes, arbitration and litigation.

The full effects of these and other unforeseen emerging claim and coverage issues are extremely hard to predict. As a result, the full extent of our liability under our coverages, and in particular, our casualty reinsurance contracts, may not be known for many years after a contract is issued.

If our non-U.S. operations become subject to U.S. income taxation, our net income will decrease.

We believe that we and our non-U.S. subsidiaries (other than PartnerRe Miami) have operated, and will continue to operate, our respective businesses in a manner that will not cause us to be viewed as engaged in a trade or business in the United States and, on this basis, we do not expect that either we or our non-U.S. subsidiaries will be required to pay U.S. corporate income taxes (other than potential withholding taxes on certain types of U.S.-source passive income). Because there is considerable uncertainty as to the activities that constitute being engaged in a trade or business within the United States, the IRS may contend that either we or our non-U.S. subsidiaries are engaged in a trade or business in the United States. If either we or our non-U.S. subsidiaries are subject to U.S. income tax, our shareholders’ equity and earnings will be reduced by the amount of such taxes, which might be material.

PartnerRe U.S. Corporation and its subsidiaries conduct business in the United States, and are subject to U.S. corporate income taxes.

If proposed legislation previously introduced in both Houses of Congress is reintroduced and passed, our individual U.S. shareholders may no longer qualify for current capital gains rates on our dividends.

Currently, our individual U.S. shareholders are taxed on dividends paid in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011 at advantageous capital gains rates rather than ordinary income tax rates. Proposed legislation has been introduced in both Houses of Congress that would exclude shareholders of a foreign corporation from this advantageous treatment unless either (i) the corporation is organized or created in a country that has entered

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into a “comprehensive income tax treaty” with the U.S. or (ii) the stock of such corporation is readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S., and the corporation is organized or created in a country that has a “comprehensive income tax system” that the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury determines is satisfactory for this purpose. We would not satisfy either of these tests and, accordingly, if this legislation is reproposed and becomes law, individual U.S. shareholders would no longer qualify for the advantageous capital gains rates on our dividends. It is not possible to predict whether similar legislation might be reintroduced and enacted in the future.

The impact of Bermuda’s letter of commitment to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to eliminate harmful tax practices is uncertain and could adversely affect our tax status in Bermuda.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published reports and launched a global initiative among member and non-member countries on measures to limit harmful tax competition. These measures are largely directed at counteracting the effects of tax havens and preferential tax regimes in countries around the world. Bermuda was not listed in the most recent report as an uncooperative tax haven jurisdiction because it had previously committed to eliminate harmful tax practices, to embrace international tax standards for transparency, to exchange information and to eliminate an environment that attracts business with no substantial domestic activity. We are not able to predict what changes will arise from the commitment or whether such changes will subject us to additional taxes.

If proposed U.S. legislation is passed, our U.S. reinsurance subsidiary may be subject to higher U.S. taxation and our net income would decrease.

Currently, our U.S. reinsurance subsidiary retrocedes or may retrocede a portion of its U.S. business to our Non-U.S. reinsurance subsidiaries and is generally entitled to deductions for premiums paid for such retrocessions. Proposed legislation has been introduced that if enacted would impose a limitation on such deductions, which could result in increased U.S. tax on this business and decreased net income. It is not possible to predict whether this or similar legislation may be enacted in the future.

We are a holding company, and if our subsidiaries do not make dividend and other payments to us, we may not be able to pay dividends or make payments on our debt securities and other obligations.

We are a holding company with no operations or significant assets other than the capital stock of our subsidiaries and other intercompany balances. We have cash outflows in the form of operating expenses, interest payments related to our long-term debt, dividends to both common and preferred shareholders and, from time to time, cash outflows for principal repayments related to our long-term debt, and the repurchase of common shares under our share repurchase program. We rely primarily on cash dividends and payments from our subsidiaries to meet our cash outflows. We expect future dividends and other permitted payments from our subsidiaries to be the principal source of funds to pay expenses and dividends. The payment of dividends by our reinsurance subsidiaries is limited under Bermuda and Irish laws and certain statutes of various U.S. states in which our U.S. subsidiaries are licensed to transact business. As of December 31, 2010, there were no significant restrictions on the payment of dividends by the Company’s subsidiaries that would limit the Company’s ability to pay common and preferred shareholders’ dividends and its corporate expenses.

Because we are a holding company, our right, and hence the right of our creditors and shareholders, to participate in any distribution of assets of any subsidiary of ours, upon our liquidation or reorganization or otherwise, is subject to the prior claims of policyholders and creditors of these subsidiaries.

Investors may encounter difficulties in service of process and enforcement of judgments against us in the United States.

We are a Bermuda company and some of our directors and officers are residents of various jurisdictions outside the United States. All, or a substantial portion, of the assets of our officers and directors and of our assets are or may be located in jurisdictions outside the United States. Although we have appointed an agent and

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irrevocably agreed that the agent may be served with process in New York with respect to actions against us arising out of violations of the United States Federal securities laws in any Federal or state court in the United States, it could be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States on our directors and officers who reside outside the United States. It could also be difficult for investors to enforce against us or our directors and officers judgments of a United States court predicated upon civil liability provisions of United States Federal securities laws.

There is no treaty in force between the United States and Bermuda providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters. As a result, whether a United States judgment would be enforceable in Bermuda against us or our directors and officers depends on whether the United States court that entered the judgment is recognized by the Bermuda court as having jurisdiction over us or our directors and officers, as determined by reference to Bermuda conflict of law rules. A judgment debt from a United States court that is final and for a sum certain based on United States Federal securities laws will not be enforceable in Bermuda unless the judgment debtor had submitted to the jurisdiction of the United States court, and the issue of submission and jurisdiction is a matter of Bermuda law and not United States law.

In addition to and irrespective of jurisdictional issues, Bermuda courts will not enforce a United States Federal securities law that is either penal or contrary to public policy. An action brought pursuant to a public or penal law, the purpose of which is the enforcement of a sanction, power or right at the instance of the state in its sovereign capacity will not be entered by a Bermuda court. Certain remedies available under the laws of United States jurisdictions, including certain remedies under United States Federal securities laws, would not be available under Bermuda law or enforceable in a Bermuda court, as they would be contrary to Bermuda public policy. Further, no claim can be brought in Bermuda against us or our directors and officers in the first instance for violation of United States Federal securities laws because these laws have no extra jurisdictional effect under Bermuda law and do not have force of law in Bermuda. A Bermuda court may, however, impose civil liability on us or our directors and officers if the facts alleged in a complaint constitute or give rise to a cause of action under Bermuda law.

Operational risks, including human or systems failures, are inherent in our business.

Operational risks and losses can result from many sources including fraud, errors by employees, failure to document transactions properly or to obtain proper internal authorization, failure to comply with regulatory requirements or information technology failures.

We believe our modeling, underwriting and information technology and application systems are critical to our business and reputation. Moreover, our technology and applications have been an important part of our underwriting process and our ability to compete successfully. Such technology is and will continue to be a very important part of our underwriting process. We have also licensed certain systems and data from third parties. We cannot be certain that we will have access to these, or comparable service providers, or that our technology or applications will continue to operate as intended. In addition, we cannot be certain that we would be able to replace these service providers or consultants without slowing our underwriting response time. A major defect or failure in our internal controls or information technology and application systems could result in management distraction, harm to our reputation, a loss or delay of revenues or increased expense.

Foreign currency fluctuations may reduce our net income and our capital levels.

Through our multinational reinsurance operations, we conduct business in a variety of foreign (non-U.S.) currencies, the principal exposures being the euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc and Singapore dollar. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are exposed to changes in currency exchange rates. Our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar, and exchange rate fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar may materially impact our results and financial position. We employ various strategies (including hedging) to manage our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. To the extent that these exposures are not fully hedged or the hedges are ineffective, our results or equity may be reduced by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.

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Provisions in our bye-laws may restrict the voting rights of our shares and may restrict the transferability of our shares.

Our bye-laws generally provide that if any person owns, directly, indirectly or by attribution, more than 9.9% of our outstanding shares (including our common and preferred shares), the voting rights attached to such shares will be reduced so that such person may not exercise and is not attributed more than 9.9% of the total voting rights. In addition, our board of directors may limit a shareholder’s exercise of voting rights where it deems it necessary to do so to avoid non-de minimis adverse tax, legal or regulatory consequences to us, any of our subsidiaries or any of our shareholders.

Under our bye-laws, subject to waiver by our board of directors, no transfer of our shares is permitted if such transfer would result in a shareholder controlling more than 9.9% of our outstanding shares. Our bye-laws also provide that if our board of directors determines that share ownership by a person may result in non-de minimis adverse tax, legal or regulatory consequences to us, any of our subsidiaries or any of our shareholders, then we have the option, but not the obligation, to require that shareholder to sell to us for fair market value the minimum number of shares held by such person which is necessary to eliminate the non-de minimis adverse tax, legal or regulatory consequences.

We also have the authority under our bye-laws to request information from any shareholder for the purpose of determining whether a shareholder’s voting rights are to be limited pursuant to our bye-laws. If a shareholder fails to respond to our request for information or submits incomplete or inaccurate information in response to a request by us, we may, in our sole discretion, eliminate the shareholder’s voting rights.

The loss of key executive officers could adversely affect us.

Our success has depended, and will continue to depend, partly upon our ability to attract and retain executive officers. If any of these executives ceased to continue in his or her present role, we could be adversely affected.

We believe there are only a limited number of available qualified executives in the business lines in which we compete. Our ability to execute our business strategy is dependent on our ability to attract and retain a staff of qualified underwriters and other key personnel. The skills, experience and knowledge of the reinsurance industry of our management team constitute important competitive strengths. If some or all of these managers leave their positions, and even if we were able to find persons with suitable skills to replace them, our operations could be adversely affected.

None.

The Company leases office space in Bermuda where the Company’s principal executive offices are located. Additionally, the Company leases office space in various locations, including Beijing, Dublin, Greenwich (Connecticut), Hong Kong, Mexico City, Miami, Montreal, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, Toronto, Washington, D.C., Zug and Zurich.

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Litigation

The Company’s reinsurance subsidiaries, and the insurance and reinsurance industry in general, are subject to litigation and arbitration in the normal course of their business operations. In addition to claims litigation, the Company and its subsidiaries may be subject to lawsuits and regulatory actions in the normal course of business that do not arise from or directly relate to claims on reinsurance treaties. This category of business litigation typically involves, among other things, allegations of underwriting errors or misconduct, employment claims or regulatory activity. While the outcome of business litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, the Company will dispute all allegations against the Company and/or its subsidiaries that Management believes are without merit.

As of December 31, 2010, the Company was not a party to any litigation or arbitration that it believes could have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, results of operations or liquidity of the Company.

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PART II

The Company has the following securities (with their related symbols) traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE):

The Company’s common shares are also traded on the NYSE Euronext Paris exchange and Bermuda Stock Exchange under the symbol PRE.

As of February 22, 2011, the approximate number of common shareholders was 66,500.

The following table provides information about purchases by the Company during the quarter ended December 31, 2010, of equity securities that are registered by the Company pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table sets forth the high and low sales prices per share of the Company’s common shares for each of the fiscal quarters in the last two fiscal years as reported on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape:

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Other information with respect to the Company’s common shares and related shareholder matters is contained in Notes 7, 12, 13, 14, 16, 19 and 24 to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of Part II of this report and in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference to this item.

Comparison of 5-Year Cumulative Total Return

The graph below compares the cumulative shareholder return, including reinvestment of dividends, on the Company’s common shares to such return for Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) 500 Composite Stock Price Index and S&P’s 1500 Composite Property & Casualty Insurance Index for the period commencing on December 31, 2005 and ending on December 31, 2010, assuming $100 was invested on December 31, 2005. Each measurement point on the graph below represents the cumulative shareholder return as measured by the last sale price at the end of each year during the period from December 31, 2005 through December 31, 2010. As depicted in the graph below, during this period the cumulative total shareholder return on the Company’s common shares was 39%, the cumulative total return for the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index was 12% and the cumulative total return for the S&P 1500 Composite Property & Casualty Insurance Index was 18%.

The Company has attempted to identify an index which most closely matches its business. There are no indices that properly reflect the returns of the reinsurance industry. The S&P 1500 Composite Property & Casualty Insurance Index is used as it is the broadest index of companies in the property and casualty industry. We caution the reader that this index of 25 companies does not include any companies primarily engaged in the reinsurance business, and therefore it is provided to offer context for evaluating performance, rather than direct comparison.

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Selected Consolidated Financial Data

This data should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of Part II of this report and with other information contained in this report, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Item 7 of Part II of this report.

The Statement of Operations Data reflects the consolidated results of the Company and its subsidiaries for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, including the results of Paris Re from October 2, 2009. The Balance Sheet Data reflects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as at December 31, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, including Paris Re as at December 31, 2009 and 2010.

(Expressed in millions of U.S. dollars or shares, except per share data)