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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2003

Registration No. 333-            



UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549


FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


WILLIS GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Bermuda
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  98-0352587
(I.R.S. Employee
Identification Number)

Ten Trinity Square
London EC3P 3AX, England
+44 20 7488 8111
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of Registrant's principal executive offices)


William P. Bowden, Jr., Esq.
Willis Group Holdings Limited
7 Hanover Square
New York, New York 10004
(212) 344-8888
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)


With copies to:

Edward P. Tolley III, Esq.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
425 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017
(212) 455-2000
  Andrew J. Pitts, Esq.
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
825 Eighth Avenue
New York, New York 10019
(212) 474-1000

        Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.


        If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o

        If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. o

        If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ý 333-104439

        If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o

        If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434, please check the following box. o

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE


Title of each Class of
Securities to be Registered

  Amount to be
Registered

  Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Price Per Security

  Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Offering Price

  Amount of
Registration
Fee


Common Stock, par value $0.000115 per share(1)   3,678,710 shares   $31.00   $114,040,000   $9,225.87

(1)
Represents shares of common stock to be sold by certain selling shareholders identified in a prospectus supplement.





EXPLANATORY NOTE AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

        This registration statement is being filed with respect to the registration of additional shares of Common Stock, par value $0.00115 per share, of Willis Group Holdings Limited, a company with limited liability organized under the laws of Bermuda, pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The contents of the earlier effective registration statement (File No. 333-104439) are incorporated in this registration statement by reference.

        The earlier effective registration statement registered for offering and sale on a delayed basis (1) $500 million of unallocated securities to be sold by the registrant and/or certain of its subsidiaries and (2) 20 million of separately allocated shares of common stock to be sold by certain selling shareholders. The offering to which this registration statement relates depletes all remaining shares of common stock of the selling shareholders registered under the separately allocated portion of the earlier registration statement.

        The required opinions and consents are listed on an Exhibit Index attached hereto and filed herewith.

2



PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

ITEM 16.    EXHIBITS

        All exhibits filed with or incorporated by reference in Registration Statement No. 333-104439 are incorporated by reference into, and shall be deemed part of, this registration statement, except the following, which are filed herewith.

Exhibit No.

  Description of Exhibit


5.1

 

Opinion of Appleby, Spurling & Kempe.
23.1   Consent of Deloitte & Touche.
23.2   Consent of Appelby, Spurling & Kempe (included in Exhibit 5.1).

3



SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement on Form S-3 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, Country of United States, on April 30, 2003.

    WILLIS GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED

 

 

By:

/s/  
WILLIAM P. BOWDEN, JR.      
Name: William P. Bowden, Jr.
Title:  General Counsel

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature
  Title
  Date
*
Joseph J. Plumeri
  Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director (principal executive officer)   April 30, 2003

/s/  
THOMAS COLRAINE      
Thomas Colraine

 

Group Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer and principal accounting officer)

 

April 30, 2003

*

Henry R. Kravis

 

Director

 

April 30, 2003

*

George R. Roberts

 

Director

 

April 30, 2003

*

Perry Golkin

 

Director

 

April 30, 2003

*

Todd A. Fisher

 

Director

 

April 30, 2003

*

Scott C. Nuttall

 

Director

 

April 30, 2003

*

James R. Fisher

 

Director

 

April 30, 2003

*

Paul M. Hazen

 

Director

 

April 30, 2003

*

Senator William Bradley

 

Director

 

April 30, 2003

*

Douglas B. Roberts

 

Director

 

April 30, 2003

/s/  
WILLIAM P. BOWDEN, JR.      
William P. Bowden, Jr.

 

Authorized U.S. Representative

 

April 30, 2003

*By:

 

/s/  
WILLIAM P. BOWDEN, JR.    

William P. Bowden, Jr.

 

Attorney-in-fact

 

April 30, 2003

4



EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.

  Description of Exhibit


5.1

 

Opinion of Appleby, Spurling & Kempe.

23.1

 

Consent of Deloitte & Touche.

23.2

 

Consent of Appleby, Spurling & Kempe (included Exhibit 5.1).

5




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EXPLANATORY NOTE AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
PART II INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
SIGNATURES
EXHIBIT INDEX

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Exhibit 5.1

[Letterhead of Appleby Spurling & Kempe]

30 April 2003

Willis Group Holdings Limited
Cedar House
41 Cedar Avenue
Hamilton HM 12
Bermuda

Dear Sirs

Willis Group Holdings Limited (the "Company")

        You have asked us to render this opinion in our capacity as your counsel as to Bermuda law in connection with the filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of the United States of America (the "Securities Act"), of a Registration Statement filed on 15 April 2003 on Form S-3 (the "Initial Registration Statement") and related documents and the Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) (the "462(b) Registration Statement") (together, the "Registration Statements") of the Company's issued common shares that are to be offered and sold by certain shareholders ("the Selling Shareholder Shares").

        For the purposes of this opinion we have examined and relied upon the Registration Statements and documents listed in the Schedule to this opinion. The Registration Statements and such documents are collectively referred to as the "Documents".

Assumptions

        In stating our opinion we have assumed:


Opinion

        Based upon and subject to the foregoing and subject to the reservations set out below and to any matters not disclosed to us, we are of the opinion that:

Reservations

        We have the following reservations:

2


3


Disclosure

        This opinion is addressed to you in connection with the filing by the Company of the Registration Statements with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. We consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the 462(b) Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption "Risk Factors—Unenforceability of certain United States Judgments" and "Legal Matters" in the prospectus included as part of the Initial Registration Statement. In giving the foregoing consents, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of Persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of the United States, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder. Except as stated above, without our prior written consent, this opinion may not be furnished or quoted to or relied upon by any Person for any purpose.

        Further, this opinion speaks as of its date and is strictly limited to the matters stated herein and we assume no obligation to review or update this opinion if applicable laws or the existing facts or circumstances should change.

        This opinion is governed by and is to be construed in accordance with Bermuda law. It is given on the basis that it will not give rise to any legal proceedings with respect thereto in any jurisdiction other than Bermuda.

Yours faithfully,

/s/ Appleby Spurling & Kempe

Appleby Spurling & Kempe

4



SCHEDULE

1.
A copy of the Registration Statement.

2.
The entries and filings shown in respect of the Company on the file of the Company maintained in the Register of Companies at office of the Registrar of Companies in Hamilton, Bermuda, as revealed by a search on April 11 2003 (the "Company Search").

3.
The entries and filings shown in respect of the Company in the Supreme Court Causes Book maintained at the Registry of the Supreme Court in Hamilton, Bermuda, as revealed by a search on April 11 2003 in respect of the Company (the "Litigation Search").

4.
Originals of the Memorandum of Association and the revised Bye-laws for the Company (collectively, "the Constitutional Documents").

5.
Certified copy of the resolutions of (i) the Board of Directors of the Company dated 5 February 2002 and (ii) the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company dated April 9 2003 (collectively the "Resolutions").



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SCHEDULE

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Exhibit 23.1


INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT

        We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement of Willis Group Holdings Limited on Form S-3 of our report dated February 5, 2003, except for Notes 20 and 21, as to which the date is April 16, 2003 (which report expresses an unqualified opinion and includes an explanatory paragraph relating to the Company's adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142 "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets"), appearing in the Current Report on Form 8-K of Willis Group Holdings Limited dated April 16, 2003 and to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in the Prospectus, which is incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche

DELOITTE & TOUCHE

London
April 30, 2003




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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT