Lockton Companies, an insurance brokerage and risk advisory firm, has announced the appointments of Luke Sutton as Chief Commercial Officer (EMEA) and Abbas Juma as Head of Tax (EMEA) in its Transaction Liability (TL) practice.
These moves mark a further step in Lockton’s investment in a unified TL platform following the formal launch of its global practice. The firm aims to provide consistent technical expertise and client advisory across regions through a single integrated structure.
Both appointments arrive at a time of strong growth for the practice, with Sutton and Juma expected to support innovation, enhance client services, and expand a platform designed to operate as a coordinated international team.
Sutton brings over a decade of experience advising on complex corporate and investment matters. A UK-qualified lawyer, he has worked on mergers and acquisitions, private capital transactions, fund structuring, and corporate matters in both private practice and in-house roles.
He later joined the transaction liability sector at a leading insurance broker, ultimately becoming Head of Placement and contributing to the growth of the UK private equity and M&A platform. In 2024, Sutton established a Transaction Liability practice for the Middle East and Africa and moved to the United Arab Emirates to lead regional expansion.
“Luke’s experience in the UK and most recently across the Middle East and Africa gives him a unique perspective on what we are building at Lockton,” commented Mary Duffy, Head of Global Expansion and Market Strategy. “We are bringing a novel approach to established markets across the region, and Luke is exactly the kind of leader we need as we continue to scale our EMEA platform.”
“What attracted me to Lockton is the seriousness of purpose behind this buildout,” Sutton said. “The firm has created something genuinely differentiated in the markets it serves and is now extending that same model globally, with real integration, technical depth, and a consistent approach to advising clients across regions. That is what gives clients confidence that they are working with the same team regardless of where a transaction originates.”
Juma has more than 15 years of experience advising on tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions and complex corporate transactions across multiple jurisdictions. He started his career at Deloitte in the real estate M&A tax team, supporting private equity funds and corporate clients throughout the UK and Europe. He subsequently transitioned into the transaction liability sector at a major insurance broker, where he played a key role in establishing and expanding tax risk insurance services across the UK and European markets.
“Tax insurance has evolved dramatically over the past decade, moving from a niche product used occasionally on complex deals to a core tool in how tax risk is managed in transactions today,” said Eric Ziff, Global Co-Head, Transaction Liability.
“Abbas has been at the centre of that evolution for nearly a decade, helping clients, advisors, and underwriters navigate that shift as the market scaled. That experience combines deep technical expertise with real market perspective, and it makes him an exceptional addition to our global team.”
“Lockton’s ambition for this practice is clear, and the global platform the firm has built gives that ambition real credibility,” Juma added. “The opportunity to lead the tax capability across EMEA as part of a fully integrated global team, rather than a standalone regional practice or siloed specialty practice, was what made this the right move. I look forward to bringing that expertise to clients across the region and beyond.”
The EMEA region forms a central part of Lockton’s growing global Transaction Liability network, which also includes teams in North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, India, the UK, and the Nordics. The network connects clients involved in cross-border transactions to a coordinated team operating under shared standards and infrastructure.
“Our global practice is designed to operate as one integrated platform, and EMEA is an essential part of that system. It delivers the same technical standards and client experience wherever transactions occur,” noted Josh Halpern, Global Co-Head of Transaction Liability.
The appointments of Sutton and Juma further strengthen Lockton’s integrated global Transaction Liability platform, which unites capabilities including representations and warranties insurance, tax liability insurance, and contingent risk solutions under one structure serving clients across major M&A markets. The firm plans to continue investing in talent and expertise across EMEA and globally as client needs evolve.
