Nature Of Operations

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature Of Operations

Nature of Operations

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (“the Company”), a global professional services firm, is organized based on the different services that it offers. Under this organizational structure, the Company’s two business segments are Risk and Insurance Services and Consulting.

The Risk and Insurance Services segment provides risk management and insurance broking, reinsurance broking and insurance program management services for businesses, public entities, insurance companies, associations, professional services organizations, and private clients. The Company conducts business in this segment through Marsh and Guy Carpenter.

In January 2012, Marsh acquired Alexander Forbes' South African brokerage operations, including Alexander Forbes Risk Services and related ancillary operations and insurance broking operations in Botswana and Namibia. In March 2012, Marsh acquired KSPH, LLC, a middle-market employee benefits agency based in Virginia, and Cosmos Services (America) Inc., the U.S. insurance brokerage subsidiary of ITOCHU Corp., which specializes in commercial property/casualty, personal lines, and employee benefits brokerages services to U.S. subsidiaries of Japanese companies.

The Consulting segment provides advice and services to the managements of organizations in the area of human resource consulting, comprising retirement and investments, health and benefits, outsourcing and talent; and strategy and risk management consulting, comprising management, economic and brand consulting. The Company conducts business in this segment through Mercer and Oliver Wyman Group.

In February 2012, Mercer acquired the remaining 49% of Yokogawa-ORC, a global mobility firm based in Japan, and Pensjon & Finans, a leading Norway-based financial investment and pension consulting firm. In March 2012, Mercer acquired REPCA, a France-based broking and advising firm for employer health and benefits plans.

On August 3, 2010, the Company completed the sale of Kroll, the Company's former Risk Consulting & Technology segment. With the sale of Kroll, along with previous divestiture transactions between 2008 and 2010, the Company has divested its entire Risk Consulting & Technology segment. The run-off of the Company’s involvement in the Corporate Advisory and Restructuring business (“CARG”), previously part of Risk Consulting & Technology, in which the Company has “continuing involvement” as defined in SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 5e, is now managed by the Company’s corporate departments. Consequently, the financial results of the CARG businesses are included in “Corporate” for segment reporting purposes.