AssuredPartners unit accuses two former sales execs of soliciting clients

A St. Louis-based AssuredPartners Capital Inc. unit filed a federal lawsuit Monday against two former sales executives and their current employer over the solicitation of clients.

The brokerage said in the complaint filed in AssuredPartners of Missouri LLC v. Craig Bauer et al. that Craig Bauer and Robert Bauer breached restrictive covenant agreements when soliciting its clients after their December 2023 resignations. Under those agreements, the former executives could not use AssuredPartners’ confidential information or solicit active or prospective clients for 24 months after their departure, the complaint states.

Chris Bauer worked for Ricci Associates from October 1992 until it was acquired by AssuredPartners in September 2018.  Robert Bauer worked for AssuredPartners and a predecessor in interest for roughly four years, court records show.

Prior to his resignation, Chris Bauer used his AssuredPartners email address to send confidential information about 10 restricted clients to his personal email account, the complaint states. He later deleted the emails from his AssuredPartners account.

After leaving AssuredPartners, the former sales executives began working for another brokerage, OneDigital Premier Services LLC, and contacted and solicited business from companies included in the emails that Chris Bauer sent to himself,  court records show.

AssuredPartners contends the former executives breached their restrictive covenant agreements and that they and Clayton, Missouri-based OneDigital violated the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act and the Missouri Trade Secrets Act.

Representatives for the parties did not respond to requests for comment.