Since acquiring Ironshore, Liberty Mutual's National Insuranceoperation has added energy coverage to its offerings. A singlesubmission now allows brokers to quote general liability, Auto,workers' compensation, lead umbrella and pollution coverages formid-sized oil and gas lease operators.

Independence Holding Company hasannounced it intends to commence a tender offer within the nextweek to purchase up to 2 million shares of its common stock at aprice per share of $20. The number of shares proposed to bepurchased in the tender offer represents approximately 12.21percent of IHC's currently outstanding common shares and involvesan aggregate purchase price of $40 million.

SwissRe Capital Markets has successfully structured andplaced the issuance of $925 million of insurance-linked securitiesby Ursa Re Ltd. to be used for the protection of the CaliforniaEarthquake Authority (“CEA”). The transaction is one of the largestindemnity, annual aggregate catastrophe bonds and covers Californiaearthquakes.

TheArbella Insurance Foundation celebrated its10^th anniversary as a major sponsor for Project Bread'sannual Walk for Hunger in Massachusetts on May 7,2017. A record-breaking 554 registered Team Arbella walkers,composed of Arbella Insurance Group employees, family members andfriends, participated.

Zurich North America has combined itsSpecialty Products business under its North America CommercialInsurance division. Paul Horgan, head of North America CommercialInsurance, will lead the newly expanded unit.

The board of directors for insurance holding companyNIHoldings Inc. has announced a repurchase of up to $8million of the company's outstanding common stock. NI Holdings saysthe repurchases will be made in the open market or throughprivately negotiated transactions, depending on marketconditions.

Biglari Holdings Inc. has acquired WesternService Contract Corporation, parent company of Pacific SpecialtyInsurance Company and its affiliated agency McGraw Insurance Inc.for $299.5 million.

The board of directors for Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Workers'Compensation outsourcing services company Patriot NationalInc. has formed a special committee ofindependent directors to explore strategic alternatives for thecompany.

Insurance brokerage and consulting firm USI InsuranceServices has acquired Hartman Employee BenefitsInc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Itasca, Illinois-based insurance brokerage and risk managementservices company Arthur J. Gallagher &Co. has acquired Rockford, Ill.-basedWilliams-Manny Insurance Group. Terms of the transaction were notdisclosed.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has also acquiredHouston-based Zuber Insurance Agency Inc. Terms of the deal werenot disclosed.

New York City-based insurance technologystartup Slice Labs Inc. has launched ahomeshareinsurance product, available in 13 U.S. states. Coverage turnson and off in sync with bookings so costs align with revenue andincludes $2 million in commercial liability, the full replacementof property, and a number of deductible-free coverages for keyexposures such as theft, infestation, breakage of valuables andloss of income.

WillisTowers Watson has partnered with smart hometechnology innovator Roost to establish as Home TelematicsConsortium comprise of five to 10 U.S. insurance carriers. Carrierswill offer policyholders a kit made up of the Roost smart 9vbattery for smoke alarms and Roost smart water leak detectors thatdeliver notifications to customers' smartphones when a suspectedwater leak or fire event occurs. Willis Towers Watson will analyzethe consortium's policy and claim data and compare it with Roost'stelematics data.

McLean, Virginia-based Consumer SpecialtiesInsurance Co. has added an endorsement for crisismanagement/cyber risk to its commercial general liability policy.The endorsement is free to participating insureds on policyrenewals.