Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired certain Willis Towers Watson plc reinsurance, specialty and retail brokerage operations as part of a proposed regulatory remedy for the pending Aon plc and Willis Towers Watson plc combination.  The transaction is expected to close during the second half of 2021.

This acquisition will accelerate our long-term strategy by significantly expanding our global value proposition in reinsurance, broadening our retail brokerage footprint and strengthening key niches and specialty brokerage offerings,” said J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., chairman, president and CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. “The powerful combination of expertise, geographic reach and scale that this acquisition presents will greatly enhance our offerings to clients and prospects, while also providing significant value for our colleagues, carrier partners and shareholders.  Most importantly, I look forward to welcoming more than 6,000 new colleagues to our growing Gallagher family of professionals.”

Under the agreement, Gallagher will acquire the combined operations for gross consideration of $3.57 billion.  Gallagher expects to finance the transaction using a combination of long-term debt, short-term borrowings, free cash and common equity.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and BofA Securities acted as financial advisors and Sidley Austin LLP acted as legal advisor to Gallagher on this transaction.