
Broker Willis Towers Watson will be broken up and large parts of it including a substantive part of its reinsurance operations sold to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co in a move designed to smooth the way for Aon’s acquisition of the business.
It is hoped the deal will help Aon secure a green light from concerned regulators. A number have expressed antitrust-related worries relating to the deal, most notably the European Commission. In April, the two brokers announced that they were developing a remedy proposal to alleviate these concerns.
The European Commission was reported to be on the verge of publishing a statement outlining all its fears. This prompted the firms to prepare a package of remedies designed to negate the need for this to be published at all.
Arthur J. Gallagher will acquire certain parts of Willis’s reinsurance, specialty, and retail brokerage operations in a US$3.5 billion deal expected to close during the second half of 2021.
The proposed deal is subject to European Commission, US Department of Justice, and other regulatory approvals, including regulatory approvals related to the pending Aon and Willis Towers Watson combination and the proposed remedy. That could mean the regulators may still have an important say on the future of all three businesses.
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
UFC Reaches $375 Million Settlement in Antitrust Case
Feb 6, 2025 by
CPI
Brazilian Architecture Council Convicted of Antitrust Violations
Feb 6, 2025 by
CPI
Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Ban Chinese AI Software from US Government Devices
Feb 6, 2025 by
CPI
Senators Call for Investigation into RealPage Algorithm’s Impact on Military Housing Costs
Feb 6, 2025 by
CPI
ECB Seeks Faster Digital Euro Legislation Amid US Stablecoin Push
Feb 6, 2025 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – International Criminal Enforcement
Jan 23, 2025 by
CPI
The Antitrust Division’s Recent Work to Combat International Cartels
Jan 23, 2025 by
Emma Burnham & Benjamin Christenson
Information Sharing: The New Frontier of U.S. Antitrust Enforcement
Jan 23, 2025 by
Brian P. Quinn, Casey Kovarik & Michael Tubach
The Key Role of Guidelines on Exchanges of Information Among Competitors and the Divergent Transatlantic Paths
Jan 23, 2025 by
Rosa Abrantes-Metz & Albert Metz
Leniency, Whistleblowers, and Compliance
Jan 23, 2025 by
Richard Powers, Tara O’Malley & Cory Gordon