AG ASKS JUDGE TO MAKE WILLIS HAND OVER DOCUMENTS

Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch filed a 400-page motion in state court Monday asking a judge to force broker Willis Group to hand over documents related to his investigation of the firm’s contingent commission practices. Willis issued a statement saying it has cooperated with Hatch’s investigation and that the filing “came as a complete surprise.”

In the filing, the attorney general’s office said that after offering Willis two full extensions to cooperate with subpoenas, the documents the international brokerage finally delivered were “grossly deficient,” according to The New York Times. The newspaper also quoted Hatch as saying that 50 internal documents handed over by a former Willis executive illustrate the brokerage had a policy of steering business to insurers with which it had contingency fee arrangements.

This reportedly includes a memo from 2003 which said, “Maximize premium flow to key carriers with most attractive contingent income agreements.” Hatch said of Willis in an interview: “They’re dragging their feet. They don’t want to produce. They don’t want to disclose.” In its statement, the company said it didn’t “want to pick a fight,” but that if an agreement could not be reached it would take the matter to court.