Aon and Willis Towers Watson announced on Monday that the firms have agreed to terminate their merger agreement and end negotiations with the Department of Justice (DOJ). The proposed combination was first announced on March 9, 2020.
“Despite regulatory momentum around the world, including the recent approval of our combination by the European Commission, we reached an impasse with the U.S. Department of Justice,” Aon CEO Greg Case said in a statement. “The DOJ position overlooks that our complementary businesses operate across broad, competitive areas of the economy. We are confident that the combination would have accelerated our shared ability to innovate on behalf of clients, but the inability to secure an expedited resolution of the litigation brought us to this point.”
Aon said it will pay a $1 billion termination fee to Willis Towers Watson and both organizations will move forward independently. Both firms will also provide further financial updates and outlooks on their respective Q2 2021 earnings calls, which take place on July 30 for Aon and August 3 for Willis Towers Watson.
“Over the last 16 months, our colleagues have turned potential challenges into opportunities to advance our Aon United strategy,” Case said. “We built on our track record of innovation, continued to deliver industry-leading performance and progress against our key financial metrics, and move forward with the strongest colleague engagement and client feedback scores in over a decade. Our respect for Willis Towers Watson and the team members we’ve come to know through this process has only grown.”
“Our team’s resilience and commitment are a source of pride and confidence. They have continued to bring to life Willis Towers Watson’s compelling value proposition to better serve our clients in the areas of people, risk, and capital,” added Willis Towers Watson CEO John Haley. “Going forward, our focus remains steadfast on our colleagues, our clients, and our shareholders.”
With more than 20 years serving financial markets, John Sullivan is the former editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor magazine and retirement editor of ThinkAdvisor.com. Sullivan is also the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.
