NU Online News Service, Oct. 28, 11:48 a.m. EDT

Aon Corp. insurance brokerage said it has agreed to acquireCarpenter Moore Insurance Services Inc. from The NASDAQ OMX GroupInc. Financial terms were not disclosed.

New York-based Carpenter Moore provides executive liability riskmanagement services with expertise in technology, pharmaceuticals,health care, durable goods, transportation, energy and financialservices.

Under the terms of the agreement, Chicago-based Aon said it andNASDAQ will enter into a five-year exclusive marketing agreementthat will incorporate outreach and support for NASDAQ issuers andprospective issuers in the area of liability insurance.

The two organizations also will collaborate on the developmentand distribution of the annual Carpenter Moore Benchmarking Survey,a survey which provides companies with valuable information abouttheir liability insurance pricing as compared to peers in theirindustry.

"This acquisition gives Aon a unique asset in the executiveliability risk management sector," said Michael D. Rice, NationalPractice Leader of Aon's Financial Services Group (FSG), in astatement.

Mr. Rice added, "Carpenter Moore brings a similar passion fordelivering client value, excellent relationships with the insurancemarketplace, and a strong team in the public company directors andofficers liability market. Pairing the intellectual capital of ournew colleagues with FSG's unmatched data-driven approach to supportthe diverse business goals of our clients enhances our position asthe leading broker in executive liability product lines."

Ralph Semeraro, president of Carpenter Moore, said, "Thistransaction allows our clients to seamlessly access a broader anddeeper set of products and services in executive liability and riskmanagement. Our consultative approach to client service fits withAon's vision, and we are also pleased to continue the strongassociation with NASDAQ through our marketing agreement."

When NASDAQ acquired the privately held Carpenter Moore in 2005,the San Francisco-based firm allowed the financial exchange toexpand to seven offices and serve over 2,000 clients, including 12of the NASDAQ--100 companies. It placed NASDAQ in the top 10 ofbrokers providing management liability insurance.

Earlier this month Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. acquired theWestern region direct practice of Carpenter Moore.

This story was updated at 3:59 p.m. EDT