Our world is changing. As the global economy recovers from the COVID pandemic, mergers and acquisitions activity has continued at an unprecedented rate. Amid this volatility and uncertainty comes a pressing need for M&A professionals to make critical decisions — and at speed.
Aon’s Transaction Solutions Symposium examined strategic insights, industry trends, and innovative tools that help improve deal and business outcomes.
The symposium gathered together leaders and experts in the M&A industry — including private equity and corporate development professionals, as well as M&A advisors — to discuss the latest trends and challenges faced while pursuing deals in the current environment.
This panel reflected on the deals, trends and market conditions that shaped 2021 and shared their thoughts on key risks and challenges in the year ahead.
Moderator: Julia Papastavridis, Aon
Panelists: Matthew Dubeck, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Jay Rittberg, Euclid Transactional
Patrick Jacobs, Carlyle
Daniel Simnowitz, DUAL Transaction Solutions
Tax insurance is a dependable tool to achieve tax certainty. Once only thought of as an M&A tool, today tax insurance is used to facilitate corporate tax planning, implement estate planning, support project finance and renewable energy investments as well as protect to buyers of companies. In this regard, organizations are increasingly turning to tax insurance as an alternative capital management tool that can be used to deliver highly customized solutions to facilitate deals or to take risk off the balance sheet. In this session, our panelists discussed how insurance is being used to disrupt the traditional approach to tax risk and capital management and improve bottom line results.
Moderator: Jessica Harger, Aon
Panelist: William Kellogg, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Daniel Potter, Grant Thornton LLP
Rishi Sodhi, DLA Piper
Annabelle Trotter, Aon
Marc Yassinger, Platinum Equity
Aon’s claims advocacy team will sit down with a panel of leaders in the representations and warranties (R&W) insurance space to discuss how R&W claim activity and the claim process has evolved in the last five years and what they predict for the future. This panel will include an overview of R&W claim data and trends, a discussion about the impact of claim activity on the R&W insurance market and a deep dive into how the claim process may continue to evolve to create greater predictability for both insurers and policyholders and to ensure the sustainability of R&W insurance for many years to come.
Moderator: Stephen Davidson, Aon
Panelist: Meghan Cardell, Alvarez and Marsal
Joseph G. Finnerty III, DLA Piper
Anthony Rospert, Thompson Hine
Alex Yastrow, Ambridge Partners LLC
Transaction parties and their advisors continue to explore new structures in which R&W Insurance can be implemented. In this panel, we discussed some of the more recent innovations in our space including the use of R&W Insurance in SPACs, secondary transactions (including fund continuation vehicles), preferred equity investments, and minority investments.
Moderator: Matthew Wiener, Aon
Panelists: Michael Guo, TPG Capital
Cyril Jones, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Angus Marshall, CFC Underwriting, Ltd.
Rita-Anne O'Neill, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
This panel reviewed the fast-evolving litigation and contingent risk insurance landscape and examine strategies that can be leveraged by insureds to both protect themselves against the challenges that can accompany significant defense-side litigation and seize the opportunities presented by plaintiff-side litigation. Our speakers also discussed the history of litigation and contingent risk insurance, the current state of the market, and what they see as its potential future trajectory.
Moderator: Stephen Kyriacou, Aon
Panelists: Nicole Barna, Arcadian Risk Capital
Stephen Davidson, Aon
Pete Griesch, Berkley Professional Liability
Bryce Guingrich, VALE Insurance Partners
Josh Kaye, BlueChip Underwriting Services
Ayanna Lewis-Gruss, Concord Specialty Risk
Dealmakers are faced with substantial economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Executives are being forced to adapt their M&A strategy to the tumultuous conditions. In this panel, the speakers looked at challenges within cross-border deals and how companies are successfully responding.
Moderator: Elissa Etheridge, Aon
Panelists: June Dipchand, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Louise Dumican, Carlyle
Drew Levin, Latham & Watkins LLP
The vast majority of the value of almost any company – regardless of size, industry, or capitalization— is their intellectual property (IP). Few companies, however, appreciate how to harness their IP assets to drive value. We discussed how these assets can be used to create value throughout a company’s journey from start-up to mature business.
Moderator: Peter Petitt, Aon
Panelist: Brian Cochrane, Aon
Matthew Zimmer, William Blair
Renewable energy infrastructure investing brings unique capital and risk challenges that impact overall returns. In this session, our panelists discussed how insurance has evolved to address not only various risks (both tax and otherwise), but also capital and credit challenges to support long-term investment goals.
Moderator: Corey Lewis, Aon
Panelists: Jorge Medina, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Amanda Rosenberg, Mayer Brown LLP
Amish Shah, Eversheds Sutherland LLP
Jeremy Woodrum, Solar Energy Industries Association
The transactional insurance continuously evolves to meet ongoing market changes and challenges. In this panel, we heard from senior underwriting leaders in the transactional insurance industry who shared their views on the future of our industry and how innovation can continue to meet clients’ future needs.
Moderator: Wendy Knobel, Aon
Panelists: Ryan Anderson, ASQ Underwriting
Mary Duffy, AIG
Kim Gladney, Ambridge Partners LLC
Dennis Kearns, DUAL North America
Bill Monat, Mosaic Insurance
Shawn O’Neill, Euclid Transactional LLC
Scott Pegram, Liberty Global Group