NU Online News Service, July 5, 10:05 a.m.EDT

Merger and acquisition activity for insurance brokers remainedbusy through the month of June as Arthur J. Gallagher led the wayannouncing three acquisitions.

Terms of all the acquisitions were not released.

ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER ACQUIRES THREE BROKERS

The Itasca, Ill.-based insurance broker the acquisitions ofWhitehaven Insurance Group, Inc. in Gulf Shores, Ala., on June 19;Broker Benefit Services, L.L.C. in Chesterfield, Mo., on June 8,and Grossman & Associates, Inc. in Beachwood, Ohio, onJune 6.

Founded in 1994, Whitehaven Insurance is a retail insurancebroker offering personal and commercial property and casualtyinsurance products and services to their clients throughout theSoutheastern United States. They specialize in high riskcoastal properties for condominium associations and privatehomeowners.

Principals Bruce Q. White, Jr., Debra Gibson, Scott Harris andtheir approximately 16 employees will continue to operate at theirGulf Shores location under the direction of Mitchel Brashier,Southeastern regional manager of Gallagher's retail P&Cbrokerage operations.

Founded in 2001, Broker Benefit Services offers employee benefitbrokerage and consulting services for their clients throughout theMidwest. They specialize in group health and welfare, executivebenefits and wellness plans with an emphasis on planning, design,implementation and cost containment for group businesses.

Principals Corey M. Durbin, John H. Byrne and their approximate10 employees will continue to operate in their current locationunder the direction of William Ziebell, North Central RegionalExecutive Vice President of Gallagher's employee benefit consultingand brokerage operations.

Founded in 1980, Grossman & Associates is an employeebenefits broker and consulting firm that offers group health,welfare and wellness plans for their clients primarily in Ohio.They specialize in educational institutions and consortia, publicentities, non-profit organizations and professional servicefirms.

Ned Grossman and approximately 10 employees will continue tooperate in their current location under the direction of WilliamZiebell, North Central regional executive vice president ofGallagher's employee benefit consulting and brokerageoperations.

MARSH & McLENNAN AGENCY ACQUIRESPROGRESSIVE BENEFIT

On June 8, Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA), a subsidiaryof broker Marsh Inc., says it acquired Progressive BenefitSolutions (PBS), a $5 million revenue employee benefits agencybased in Raleigh, N.C.

PBS will operate as a division of Rutherfoord, a Marsh &McLennan Agency company, expanding Rutherfoord's employee benefitscapabilities and resources in the Raleigh market. PBS offers awide-range of health, wellness, compliance, and executivecompensation products and services to midsize clients.

John McDonnell, William Salmon, Rick Kelly, and the rest of thePBS team will join Rutherfoord and continue operating out of PBS'existing Raleigh office. The transaction is the fourthcomplementary acquisition for Rutherfoord/MMA.

HUB INTERNATIONAL ACQUIRES MGIS PROPERTY ANDCASUALTY

On June 19, Hub International Ltd. (Hub) says it acquired a bookof business from MGIS Property & Casualty Insurance Services,Inc. (MGIS P&C), a Salt Lake City, Utah-based insurancebrokerage firm that is part of The MGIS Companies, Inc.

The west coast-based operations of MGIS P&C in Californiaand Utah will become part of the California operations of HubInternational Insurance Services (Hub California).

Founded in 1988, MGIS P&C specializes in placing propertyand casualty insurance, primarily professional liability, formedical groups, managed care organizations and solepractitioners.

For its part, MGIS says the sale of its medical-professionalliability insurance retail brokerage unit “clarifies the company'sfocus on its existing national broker network and leadershipposition within the group-physician insurance market segments.”

THE HILB GROUP ACQUIRES MDM COVENANT

On June 11, The Hilb Group, LLC completed the acquisition of MDMCovenant Insurance, LLC (MDM).

Located in Nashville, Tenn., and Atlanta, MDM was founded in2008 by Chris Meadows, Drew Meadows and Mike Dendy. MDM is aninsurance agency serving the quick serve restaurant industry with anationwide customer base. In addition, MDM provides generalinsurance brokerage services to local businesses with specialtiesin the higher education, professional services, real estate andfinancial services sectors.

SOUTHPORT LANE ACQUIRES REDWOODREINSURANCE

Southport Lane, a New York-based private equity firm, hasacquired Redwood Reinsurance SPC, Ltd., a Cayman Islands-basedreinsurer.

The carrier provides treaty reinsurance for workers compensationand general liability insurance in the United States.

The deal marks Southport Lane's second insurance-relatedacquisition over a two week span. On May 31, Southport Lane,through its subsidiary Lonestar Holdco LLC, reached a definitiveagreement with Dallas National Insurance Holdings to acquire 100percent of Dallas National Insurance Company.

BANCORPSOUTH INSURANCE ACQURIRES THE SECURANCEGROUP

On June 25, BancorpSouth Insurance Services, Inc., a subsidiaryof BancorpSouth Bank, headquartered in Tupelo, Miss., says itsigned a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of TheSecurance Group, Inc.

Securance is an independent property and casualty and life andhealth insurance agency headquartered in Brewton, Ala.

The transaction is expected to close on July 2nd.

In addition to the agency's Brewton headquarters office,Securance Group also operates offices in Montgomery, Ala., andTroy, located in southeast Alabama.

STAHLKA AGENCY ACQUIRES HISTORIC SQUAREINSURANCE

On June 6, Stahlka Agency, Inc., an independent insuranceagency, and member of the EMS Group, based in Williamsville, N.Y.,acquired Historic Square Insurance Agency's Western New Yorkpractice.

Stahlka Agency says it will merge Historic Square's office inOrchard Park, N.Y., into its existing Orchard Park location nearBuffalo.