Alliant sues former executive, rival company

Alliant Insurance Services Inc. sued a rival company and a former official of one of its own units, charging that a reduction in force at the unit was used to engineer almost 40 people leaving to join the rival.

Alliant acquired Miami-based Harbor Consulting LLC, an insurance advisory firm that provides services related to commercial real estate loans, in September 2018, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in New York last week. The case is Alliant Insurance Services Inc. & Harbor Group Consulting LLC v. Resilience Insurance Advisory Corp. & Emily Rasmussen.

In May of this year, Ms. Rasmussen, Harbor’s chief operating officer, sent a report to Aliant executives projecting a “very poor” market and calling for an immediate reduction in force.  She selected the Harbor employees to be included in the RIF and the date on which it would occur.

The complaint charges that in the days following the June RIF, numerous individuals resigned from Harbor and began work at Miami-based Resilience, which was incorporated the same month.

The suit says these former Harbor employees then targeted the same clients with whom they had worked at Harbor.

Ms. Rasmussen resigned and left Alliant in July.

Charges in the complaint include false designation of origin and unfair competition; breach of confidentiality; tortious interference with contractual and business relations; breach of fiduciary duties; unjust enrichment; unfair competition; and copyright infringement.

The lawsuit seeks monetary and punitive damages, attorneys fees and a permanent injunction.

Harbor did not respond to a request for comment.