Established in 1980, American E&S Insurance (AES) is the wholesale insurance business subsidiary of Wells Fargo Insurance, a subsidiary of the San Francisco-based bank Wells Fargo & Co. The firm is a full-service wholesaler offering extensive market access and in-house binding authorities. Focused on professional specialty products for the excess and surplus market, AES provides a link between independent insurance providers and specialty underwriters.

As part of the deal, R-T will acquire all of the operating assets and related liabilities of AES and eight office locations: San Francisco; Fresno, Calif.; Irvine, Calif.; New York; Denver; Atlanta; Nashville; Seattle.

In a statement, Neal Aton, president and chief executive officer of Wells Fargo Insurance, said the deal would allow his firm to focus on its retail core operations and niche businesses, including Wells Fargo Special Risks.

With the acquisition of New York-based Concord Specialty Risk, Ryan Specialty said it has acquired a managing general underwriter and consulting firm.

The firm, headed by CEO David S. De Berry and President Kenneth W. De Berry, brings more than two decades of experience in underwriting transactional risk insurance. The firm provides solutions for equity funds, investment funds, tax directors, corporate growth managers, auditors, lawyers, investment bankers, and insurance brokers and wholesalers.

Patrick G. Ryan, RSG chairman and CEO, formerly chief executive of insurance broker Aon, said the AES acquisition was a strategic move that increases the breadth and scope of its specialty wholesale operation. The Concord Specialty transaction will help clients and trading partners, he said.

THE AMWINS DEALS

Founded in 1990 by Jim S. Whited and Debra A. Williams, Richardson, Texas-based ASIM is a major independent managing general agent for nonstandard automobile insurance in Texas. Through Statewide Claims Service, ASIM's in-house claims and appraisals division, ASIM serves as an independent third-party claims administrator.

Excel General Agency is also a nonstandard automobile MGA servicing independent agents of Texas.

Plano, Texas-based Oakwood is a technology company that provides a complete policy and claim administrations system to automobile insurance companies, managing general agencies and large independent agents.

With the acquisition of Oakwood and its OSIS system, AmWINS said it has acquired a leading-edge technology platform for the automobile insurance sector.