A federal judge in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday issued an injunction against a group of former Willis Towers Watson Plc surety brokers who joined rival Alliant Insurance Services Inc last month.
according to verdict Willis Towers Watson Southeast Inc. vs. Alliant Insurance Services Inc., John T. Thomas, Andrew Bennett and Jennifer Boyers GulletThe three brokers violated non-solicitation agreements signed at Willis after bringing more than 16 long-time clients to Alliant shortly after leaving Willis.
Three brokers working in Willis’s Charlotte office had access to confidential and proprietary information about Willis clients and used the broker’s resources to establish and maintain client relationships, the ruling said.
“In order to protect its investments, information and customer relationships from unfair competition and to ensure the confidentiality of its confidential and proprietary information, WTW SE takes reasonable and prudent measures as the individual defendants such as employees to enter into various agreements with non-disclosure provisions.” , non-solicitation and other forms of restrictive contracts,” according to the ruling state.
The court found that North Carolina courts had previously ruled that restrictive covenants were warranted.
“Without enforcing the contractual protections to which WTW SE and individual defendants have consented, WTW SE will continue to lose access to resources improperly made available to its bail bond practice staff through the unlawful solicitation of individual defendants,” it said in the judgment.
The injunction prohibits brokers from operating on Willis’ previous accounts and soliciting business from other accounts held by Willis.
However, the court declined to grant an injunction against Alliant because Willis failed to show that Alliant “willfully” caused the agents to violate their non-solicitation clauses.
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