New York court issues TRO against Alliant in poaching case

A New York state court has issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction sought by USI Insurance Services LLC against Alliant Insurance Services Inc. and a former USI official who has joined Alliant.

Louis Spina, formerly USI’s senior vice president of Northeast surety operations, gave 60 days’ notice to USI of his resignation on Sept. 6 and joined Alliant in November, according to documents filed in state court in White Plains, New York, in USI Insurance Services LLC and USI Advantage Corp. v. Louis Spina and Alliant Insurance Services Inc. Joining Mr. Spina at Alliant was Tara Laverdiere, who worked closely with Mr. Spina at USI. 

Twenty-one of Mr. Spina’s former clients at USI have switched their surety business to Alliant, according to USI’s motion seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Mr. Spina and Alliant, which was filed with the court Nov. 14 and granted Nov. 21.

Mr. Spina was one of three owner/members of Briarcliff, New York-based Atlynx Surety Brokers LLC, which USI acquired in 2011. USI’s motion alleges that Mr.  Spina violated restrictive covenants he agreed to at the time of the sale.
Last week, the court set a Jan. 24, 2024, hearing to determine whether it should issue an order preventing him from soliciting business from any former USI client for 24 months.

USI had no comment and Alliant did not respond to a request for comment.

Defendants in poaching litigation filed by AssuredPartners of South Carolina LLC against Alliant and five former brokers are seeking to “modify or clarify” a TRO issued by a South Carolina federal district court earlier this month, stating it is overly broad.