Five years after investors filed suit over loses they say were linked to the company failure to disclose illegal practices, Marsh & McLennan Co. has reached a settlement.

The possible end of bans on contingent commissions and New York’s proposal of new rules on broker compensation could lead to national and state regulatory changes affecting insurance sales.

New York’s recent steps to regulate contingent commissions could be a step toward relaxing a ban on the practice established four years ago, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.