HCC APPOINTS ADAM PESSIN PRESIDENT
OF AMERICAN CONTRACTORS INDEMNITY

HOUSTON (October 30, 2007) . . .
HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HCC) announced today that Adam S. Pessin has been promoted to President of the Company’s American Contractors Indemnity Company (ACIC) subsidiary.

Before joining the Company in 2002, Pessin was a Senior Manager at KPMG LLP. At ACIC he served in positions including Senior Vice President of Corporate Operations of ACIC, and most recently he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer-Western Region of HCC Surety Group. Pessin is a 1993 graduate of the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

“Adam Pessin is a proven and knowledgeable leader in the surety field. His appointment as President of ACIC is a recognition of both his accomplishments and the skill he brings to the position,” HCC Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bramanti said.

Domiciled in California with principal offices in Los Angeles, ACIC is a surety company operating on an admitted basis throughout the United States and is a market leader in court, specialty contract, license & permit and bail bonds. ACIC is a member company of the HCC Surety Group businesses.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. (HCC) is a leading international specialty insurance group with offices across the United States and in Bermuda, Spain, Ireland and the United Kingdom. HCC has assets of more than $7.9 billion, shareholders’ equity of $2.2 billion and is rated AA (Very Strong) by Standard & Poor’s, AA (Very Strong) by Fitch Ratings and A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company.

For more information, visit our website at www.hcc.com.

©2005 HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc.