AssuredPartners NL LLC on Tuesday asked a federal judge in Louisville, Kentucky, for a temporary restraining order against a former sales executive and two employees who left the brokerage to work for Alliant Insurance Services Inc.
AssuredPartners said in the motion filed in Alan J. Jones v. AssuredPartners NL LLC that injunctive relief is necessary because it had received 40 broker of record letters, which start the process of a client changing brokers, since Mr. Jones resigned July 1, resulting in nearly $4 million in lost business.
The Orlando, Florida-based brokerage seeks an order temporarily barring Mr. Jones, who left for Alliant along with Mitchell Adamic and Desiree Brewer, from soliciting employees and business from clients and using its confidential information.
Mr. Jones co-founded Louisville-based brokerage Neace Lukens, which AssuredPartners acquired in September 2011. As part of his employment with AssuredPartners, Mr. Jones signed a senior management employment agreement that included noncompete, nonsolicitation and confidentiality provisions.
He worked for AssuredPartners as a sales executive for the brokerage’s general property/casualty lines until his July 1 resignation, court records show.
Mr. Jones sued AssuredPartners the same day in Kentucky state court, seeking a declaration that the restrictive covenant agreements were overbroad and would essentially bar him from being able to work for any other broker.
AssuredPartners removed the lawsuit to federal court Tuesday because damages exceed $75,000 and because the parties are from different states. The brokerage also filed counterclaims against Alliant, Mr. Adamic and Ms. Brewer.
A spokesperson for AssuredPartners declined to comment.
Representatives for Alliant and the remaining parties did not respond to requests for comment.
