WILLIS TOWERS WATSON PLC false 0001140536 0001140536 2025-12-22 2025-12-22
 
 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 22, 2025

 

 

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Ireland   001-16503   98-0352587
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

c/o Willis Group Limited,

51 Lime Street, London, EC3M 7DQ, England

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (011) 44-20-3124-6000

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below):

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading
Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange
on which registered

Ordinary Shares, nominal value $0.000304635 per share   WTW   NASDAQ Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

 
 


Item 1.01

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On December 22, 2025, Willis North America Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Issuer”), completed an offering of (i) $700,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Issuer’s 4.550% Senior Notes due 2031 (the “2031 Notes”) and (ii) $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Issuer’s 5.150% Senior Notes due 2036 (the “2036 Notes” and together with the 2031 Notes, the “Notes”). The Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company, an Irish public limited company and parent company of the Issuer (without any of its consolidated subsidiaries, the “Parent”), Willis Towers Watson Sub Holdings Unlimited Company, a company organized under the laws of Ireland, and Willis Investment UK Holdings Limited, Trinity Acquisition plc and Willis Group Limited, companies organized under the laws of England and Wales (collectively with the Parent, the “Guarantors”).

The Notes were sold in a public offering pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-285459), and a related prospectus and prospectus supplement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Notes were issued pursuant to a base indenture, as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, dated as of May 16, 2017, among the Issuer, the Guarantors and Computershare Trust Company, National Association (the “Trustee”), as successor to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee, as amended by the ninth supplemental indenture, dated as of December 22, 2025, among the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee.

The 2031 Notes will mature on March 15, 2031 and the 2036 Notes will mature on March 15, 2036. Interest accrues on the Notes from December 22, 2025 and will be paid in cash on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commencing on September 15, 2026. The Notes are senior unsubordinated unsecured obligations of the Issuer and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Issuer’s existing and future unsubordinated and unsecured senior debt and with the Issuer’s guarantee of all of the existing and future senior debt of the Parent and the other Guarantors, including the Issuer’s 4.650% Senior Notes due 2027, 4.500% Senior Notes due 2028, 2.950% Senior Notes due 2029, 5.350% Senior Notes due 2033, 5.050% Senior Notes due 2048, 3.875% Senior Notes due 2049 and 5.900% Senior Notes due 2054, Trinity Acquisition plc’s 6.125% Senior Notes due 2043 and any debt under the Parent’s senior revolving credit facility. The Notes will be senior in right of payment to any future subordinated debt of the Issuer and are effectively subordinated to all of the Issuer’s existing and future secured debt to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt.

The net proceeds from this offering, after deducting the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses, are approximately $990 million. If the previously announced Newfront acquisition closes, we intend to use the net proceeds of the offering, together with other potential funding sources and/or cash on hand, to (i) pay the consideration for the Newfront acquisition and related fees, costs and expenses and (ii) repay $550 million aggregate principal amount of the 4.400% senior notes due 2026 and related accrued interest, which shall result in the repayment in full of the 4.400% senior notes due 2026. If the Newfront acquisition does not close, we intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with cash on hand, for the repayment in full of the 4.400% senior notes due 2026 and the redemption of the 2036 Notes pursuant to a special mandatory redemption. Any remaining proceeds from the offering will be used for general corporate purposes.

The foregoing description of the Ninth Supplemental Indenture is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Ninth Supplemental Indenture, which has been filed as Exhibit 4.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 8.01

Other Events.

In connection with the offering of the Notes, the Parent is filing as Exhibits 5.1 through 5.3 hereto the opinions of counsel addressing the validity of the Notes and the guarantees and certain related matters. Such exhibits are incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement.


Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description

 4.1    Ninth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 22, 2025, among Willis North America Inc., as issuer, Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company, Willis Towers Watson Sub Holdings Unlimited Company, Willis Investment UK Holdings Limited, Trinity Acquisition plc and Willis Group Limited, as guarantors, and Computershare Trust Company, National Association, as trustee.
 4.2    Form of 2031 Note (included in Exhibit 4.1).
 4.3    Form of 2036 Note (included in Exhibit 4.1).
 5.1    Opinion of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.
 5.2    Opinion of Matheson LLP.
 5.3    Opinion of Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP.
23.1    Consent of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (included as part of Exhibit 5.1).
23.2    Consent of Matheson LLP (included as part of Exhibit 5.2).
23.3    Consent of Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP (included as part of Exhibit 5.3).
104    Cover Page Interactive File (the cover page tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document).


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: December 22, 2025     WILLIS TOWERS WATSON PLC
    By:  

/s/ Andrew Krasner

    Name:   Andrew Krasner
    Title:   Chief Financial Officer