Judge enters TRO against former Alliant exec, brokers

A federal judge in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday granted a motion filed by an AssuredPartners Inc. unit against a former sales executive and two employees who now work for Alliant Insurance Services Inc.

The judge said in Alan J. Jones v. AssuredPartners NL LLC that for 14 days the broker’s former employees and Alliant are barred from using its confidential information, working with restricted clients and soliciting other AssuredPartners workers.

The order defines restricted clients as companies that were clients of AssuredPartners in the two years preceding the departures of Mr. Jones, Mitchell Adamic and Desiree Brewer earlier this month.

The judge ruled that the relief was necessary because AssuredPartners demonstrated a likelihood of success on its counterclaims against Alliant and its former employees. The judge also said AssuredPartners sufficiently showed that it suffered irreparable harm from the former employees’ alleged violations of restrictive covenant agreements they signed while working for the brokerage.

AssuredPartners said in its motion that since Mr. Jones’ resignation, it received 40 broker of record letters, which initiate the process for a client to change brokers, resulting in roughly $4 million in lost business.

Mr. Jones initially sued AssuredPartners in Kentucky state court on July 1, the same day he resigned from the brokerage, seeking a court order finding the restrictive covenant agreements were overbroad and unenforceable.

AssuredPartners removed the case to federal court July 9; filed counterclaims against Alliant, Mr. Jones, Mr. Adamic and Ms. Brewer; and moved for the temporary restraining order. 

A spokesperson for AssuredPartners declined to comment.

Representatives for Alliant and the former AssuredPartners employees did not respond to requests for comment.