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USI Insurance sued ex-producers over alleged client move to Howden
USI says three client accounts named Howden as exclusive broker of record shortly after the producers completed 60-day notice periods, and that the departures involved restrictive-covenant violations.
USI Insurance Services has filed suit against three former producers in federal court in Virginia, alleging they breached non-compete terms after leaving to join Howden US Specialty, and that related client accounts switched brokers soon after their exits, according to Insurance Business.
The complaint, filed August 12, 2026, says the producers resigned on the same day, completed 60-day notice periods, and then joined Howden. USI alleges that within days of their departure, three of its client accounts moved their business to Howden.
USI argues the dispute centers on restrictive covenants in each producer’s employment agreement, including a two-year restriction tied to soliciting or accepting business from clients the producers had managed, and a prohibition on inducing a client account’s termination, cancellation, or non-renewal.
USI says broker of record letters were a key mechanism in the transition, explaining that when a client authorizes a new broker, the former firm loses future commissions. The filing alleges two client accounts named Howden as exclusive broker of record on August 3, 2026, and cites annual revenue figures tied to the producers’ books, as well as the accounts that allegedly transferred.