PSERS, Aon Settle Lawsuit for $7M | Chief Investment Officer

The Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System has settled its lawsuit against Aon Investments USA Inc., its former investment consultant, for $7 million. The settlement revolved around accounting errors Aon made in a 2020 risk share analysis, which the education workers’ retirement plan alleged damaged its finances and hurt its reputation.

“This resolution is a clear reminder that we take our stewardship of the assets and resources entrusted to PSERS seriously,” said PSERS board chairman, Richard Vague, in a statement. Aon could not be reached for comment.

Last August, PSERS filed a lawsuit against Aon in Pennsylvania’s Court of Common Pleas for Philadelphia County over accounting errors made in the 2020 risk share analysis. The legal action, which accused Aon of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and negligence, was rooted in an error the firm made that led PSERS to inaccurately report its returns in December 2020.

Aon at first reported that the pension fund’s nine-year performance figure was 6.38%, just above a 6.36% threshold that required additional contributions from plan participants. But a review later found that the figure was actually 6.36%, which meant the pension fund’s beneficiaries had to boost their payments.

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Those miscalculations prompted the resignation of PSERS’ executive director, Glen Grell, and its CIO, Jim Grossman. The legal action also called into question a year-long U.S. Department of Justice inquiry that found no wrongdoing.

PSERS has reported that it paid Aon $7.2 million for investment advice over almost a decade.

The pension plan’s board had already ended its contract with Aon; Verus Investments took over from the accounting firm.

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Tags: accounting error, Aon, investment advice, Jim Grossman, Lawsuits, Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS), PSERS, Richard Vague

The New York State Common Retirement Fund committed nearly $1.3 billion in investments in June, more than half of which were made within its private equity portfolio, according to the fund’s monthly transaction report.

Among the approximately $1.28 billion worth of investments committed during the month, $670 million was earmarked for private equity. According to a study released last month by the American Investment Council, private equity has generated the most growth for allocators, with annual returns of 15.2% over a 10-year period ending in 2023.

The biggest PE investment the $268 billion pension fund made was a $200 million commitment to the JFL Equity Investors V fund managed by J.F. Lehman & Co., which marks a new relationship for the NYSCRF. The fund will seek investments in the aerospace, maritime, environmental and infrastructure services, and government and defense sectors, with a focus on the North American and Western European markets.

The pension fund also committed $125 million to the One Rock Capital Partners IV fund managed by One Rock Capital Partners. The fund will seek investments in middle-market companies in several sectors, including the chemicals and process industries; specialty manufacturing and health care products sectors; food and beverage manufacturing and distribution; and environmental services.

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Another $75 million was set aside for One Rock Capital Partners’ ORCP IV Delaware Co-Investor 2 fund, which aims to invest additional capital alongside One Rock IV Investments, mainly in the U.S. It also invested $50 million in One Rock Emerald Fund, which will target investments in lower middle-market companies within multiple sectors, primarily in the U.S.

The pension fund also committed $120 million to the Altaris VI-5084 Co-Invest fund in two tranches of $60 million each. The fund will invest additional capital in co-investment opportunities alongside Altaris Health Partners, primarily in North America. Meanwhile, the NYSCRF also allotted $100 million to the JFL VI NYSCRF Co-Invest Partners, which will invest additional capital in co-investment opportunities with JFL Equity Investors, mainly in North America and Western Europe. It is the first time the pension fund has worked with JFL.

Within its real estate portfolio, the pension fund set aside $300 million for the Star Lake Opportunity Fund V, which will focus on residential and industrial assets investing in property sectors in primary and secondary markets. It also paid more than $1.9 million for a project site in Albany, New York, that will include a newly constructed five-story building containing 51 residential units, as well as a renovated two-story building intended to provide community space.

After several months during which the pension fund cut back on its public equity investments, the NYSCRF earmarked $300 million within its public equity portfolio to the DRZ SMID Cap Value fund managed by DRZ Investment Advisors, which also marks a new relationship for the pension fund.

Within its Emerging Manager Program, which invests in newer, small and diverse-owned investment management firms, the pension fund committed $10.4 million to the OPC Fund I, which will invest in residential and industrial equity investments, as well as distressed investments among all property and security types. The fund is managed by OlivePoint Capital and is a new relationship for the NYSCRF.