Darwin Announces Record Date For Stockholder Meeting on Proposed Merger with Allied...

Darwin Announces Record Date For Stockholder Meeting on Proposed Merger with
Allied World

FARMINGTON, Conn., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Darwin Professional
Underwriters, Inc. (NYSE: DR) today announced that September 15, 2008 will be
the record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote upon the
proposed acquisition of Darwin by Allied World Assurance Company Holdings,
Ltd, at a special meeting for that purpose. The date, time and place of the
special meeting of stockholders are being finalized and will be announced at a
later time.
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About Darwin Professional Underwriters, Inc.
Darwin is a specialty insurance group based in Farmington, Connecticut.
The Company is focused on the professional liability insurance market and
underwrites directors and officers liability for public and private companies,
errors and omissions liability insurance, medical malpractice liability
insurance, and other specialty coverage. Darwin member companies include
Darwin Professional Underwriters, Inc., Darwin National Assurance Company
(DNA), and Darwin Select Insurance Company (Darwin Select). DNA and Darwin
Select have earned a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) from A.M.
Best Company. Darwin is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker
symbol, DR. For more about Darwin visit http://www.darwinpro.com.
Participants in the Solicitation
The directors and executive officers of Darwin may be deemed to be
participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed merger.
Information regarding Darwin's directors and executive officers is available
in Darwin's proxy statement for its 2008 Annual Meeting filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on April 7, 2008. Additional
information regarding the interests of such directors and executive officers
in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed merger is
included in the preliminary proxy statement filed with the SEC on August 8,
2008 and will be contained in the definitive proxy statement when it becomes
available.
Additional Information
In connection with the proposed merger, Darwin filed a preliminary proxy
statement with the SEC on August 8, 2008. Investors and securities holders
are strongly advised to read the preliminary proxy statement and the
definitive proxy statement when it becomes available, before making any voting
or investment decisions. Once available, investors will be able to obtain the
definitive proxy statement, as well as other filings containing information
about Darwin, free of charge, at the website maintained by the SEC at
http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the definitive proxy statement and other filings
made by Darwin with the SEC can also be obtained, free of charge, by visiting
Darwin's website at http://www.darwinpro.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Any forward-looking statements made in this press release reflect our
current views with respect to future events and financial performance and are
made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and
uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those
set forth in these statements. For example, our forward-looking statements
could be affected by the occurrence of any event, change or other
circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement;
the inability to obtain Darwin's stockholder approval or the failure to
satisfy other conditions to completion of the merger; risks that the proposed
transaction disrupts current plans and operations; the ability to recognize
the benefits of the merger; the amount of the costs, fees, expenses and
charges related to the merger; pricing and policy term trends; increased
competition; the impact of acts of terrorism and acts of war; greater
frequency or severity of unpredictable catastrophic events; investigations of
market practices and related settlement terms; negative rating agency actions;
the adequacy of our loss reserves; the Company or its subsidiaries becoming
subject to significant income taxes in the United States or elsewhere; changes
in regulations or tax laws; changes in the availability, cost or quality of
reinsurance or retrocessional coverage; adverse general economic conditions;
and judicial, legislative, political and other governmental developments, as
well as management's response to these factors, and other factors identified
in our filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which
they are made. We are under no obligation (and expressly disclaim any such
obligation) to update or revise any forward-looking statement that may be made
from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments
or otherwise.
SOURCE Darwin Professional Underwriters, Inc.

Jack Sennott of Darwin Professional Underwriters, Inc., +1-860-284-1918