Insurance
Due Diligence
Services.
In private equity, debt financing and corporate mergers & acquisitions, a target company’s insurance programme can sometimes obscure significant off-balance-sheet liabilities. While long-term broker relationships can be valuable, a major transaction requires an objective perspective to ensure the coverage remains completely aligned with the business. Relying exclusively on existing arrangements without an independent review may leave new risks undiscovered until a claim occurs.
Due Diligence
Services.
In private equity, debt financing and corporate mergers & acquisitions, a target company’s insurance programme can sometimes obscure significant off-balance-sheet liabilities.
While long-term broker relationships can be valuable, a major transaction requires an objective perspective to ensure the coverage remains completely aligned with the business. Relying exclusively on existing arrangements without an independent review may leave new risks undiscovered until a claim occurs.
Know what you’re getting into.
We act as independent insurance due diligence and risk management specialists for project teams and investors. Our objective is to ensure you know exactly what you are acquiring. We forensically examine target companies to identify uninsured exposures, test the reasonableness of current insurance costs and ensure that the business meets the rigorous obligations of lenders and stakeholders.
Private Equity Transactions
Debt Raisings and IPOs
Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions
Independent Insurance Due Diligence
RAS has partnered with Australia’s largest private equity firms to conduct comprehensive insurance due diligence on over 500 high-value transactions. A poorly tested renewal history can mean missed savings, inadequate cover or liabilities that you inherit post-close. Our due diligence reports provide actionable commercial intelligence, including:
- A detailed stress test of the target’s existing insurance programme, identifying material gaps in cover, restrictive policy conditions and untested exclusions.
- Analysis of the target’s historical premium spend and claims history to determine if their current costs are artificially suppressed or commercially uncompetitive.
- Realistic estimates of potential variances in insurance costs post-acquisition, factoring in your specific risk appetite and operational plans.
We are often able to rectify material problems on the buyer’s behalf prior to financial close. Post-transaction, we can manage the immediate implementation of our risk recommendations.
Debt Raisings and IPOs: Managing Transactional Risk
If you are contemplating an IPO or a private capital raising, you need a clear, unvarnished view of your insurable risks and future cost variables. Lenders and underwriters require absolute certainty that operational and executive risks are securely mitigated. RAS guides you through this complex process by:
- Explaining the specific insurable risks and prospectus liabilities associated with a capital raising.
- Helping you forecast, plan and budget for the mandatory insurance changes required as a public or heavily leveraged entity.
- Managing the insurance broker appointment process, procuring the required cover (including complex Directors & Officers liability) and ensuring the strict insurance requirements of lenders and institutional investors are satisfied.
Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions: Finding Synergies
When acquiring or merging entities, the integration of disparate risk profiles requires deep technical expertise. RAS specialises in the analysis and integration of insurance programmes in M&A deals. As part of our insurance due diligence and implementation process, we execute the following:
- We analyse the strengths, weaknesses and structural costs of the separate insurance programmes.
- We identify potential cost and coverage synergies, developing a roadmap to combine the covers efficiently without sacrificing protection.
- you are considering an acquisition, RAS provides early identification of red flags such as under-reported claims, legacy liability exposures or change-of-control policy triggers that may disrupt or delay the transaction.
The Commercial Value of Independent Due Diligence
The true test of a target’s insurance program is not simply whether their premiums look competitive on a balance sheet. It is whether the policies will actually respond to a claim post-acquisition.
Engaging an independent advisor for insurance due diligence removes the conflict of interest inherent in commission-based broking models. Because RAS does not sell policies or receive commissions from insurers, our analysis is completely objective. We do not look at due diligence as a pathway to placing a policy; we view it as a critical governance exercise to protect your investment capital.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need independent insurance due diligence when the target company already has a broker?
A target’s incumbent broker is heavily invested in defending the current insurance program. They may suffer from “Incumbent Broker Syndrome,” where historical policies have simply been rolled over without testing how the business’s risk profile has evolved. Independent insurance due diligence provides an objective, conflict-free assessment of what you are actually buying, highlighting gaps the incumbent broker may have missed or ignored.
What are the most common risks uncovered during M&A insurance due diligence?
Common red flags include inadequate Directors & Officers (D&O) coverage run-off provisions, un-insured cyber risk liabilities, poor claims histories that will drive up future premiums, and change-of-control clauses that could void critical policies the moment the transaction closes.
How does insurance services outsourcing compare to hiring an in-house risk manager or part timer within the finance team (not the finance persons core job)?
In-house expertise can provide continuity, organisational knowledge and day-to-day presence. Outsourced expertise can provide breadth, flexibility, senior experience and independent challenge. For businesses that need flexibility, breadth of expertise and practical support, outsourced risk advisory can provide a valuable alternative to building every capability internally.