Printed from BusinessInsurance.com

Aon task force formed to serve SPAC needs

Posted On: Dec. 11, 2020 1:36 PM CST

Aon

Aon PLC on Friday said it has formed a task force to meet the needs of businesses involved in special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs.

A SPAC is a publicly traded company formed by a group of investors or sponsors in order to acquire or merge with an existing company.

The task force was formed in response to the rapid growth in the SPAC market, and the growing management liability exposures and coverage needs of SPAC organizers, Aon said.

Through Sept. 2020, there have been over 100 SPAC offerings year-to-date, for a combined capital raise of over $40 billion and an average offering size approaching $400 million, according to an October Aon client alert.

The task force will focus on deal lifecycle, including offering, diligence, insurance coverage and analytics, Aon said in a statement.

“Due to a mix of rising premiums and retention deductibles, and shrinking capacity – businesses entering a SPAC need an experienced team that knows the complexities of each stage of the deal,” Kristin Kraeger, Aon’s national D&O practice leader, said in the statement.

The task force will be led by Ms. Kraeger, as well as Tim Fletcher, Western region SPAC and IPO, Uri Dallal, Eastern region SPAC and IPO, and Jim Knox, technology regional practice leader.

The leadership team is supported by 20 industry veterans with experience in every stage of the SPAC transaction from program design to insurer selection to claims advocacy and business decision making, Aon said.