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USI sues former producers and claims client accounts moved to Howden
USI says three former producers resigned the same day in August 2026, served 60-day notice periods, and then joined Howden US Specialty, after which it alleges multiple accounts switched broker of record.
USI Insurance Services has filed suit in federal court in Virginia against three former producers, alleging they violated non-compete terms after leaving for a competitor. The complaint, filed August 12, 2026, says the producers resigned on the same day, served 60-day notice periods, and then joined Howden US Specialty.
USI alleges that within days of the departure, three client accounts moved their business to Howden. The dispute centers on restrictive covenants, including provisions that USI says each producer signed barring him for two years after leaving from soliciting or accepting business from clients he had managed.
The complaint also focuses on broker of record letters, which USI says are the mechanism that shifts a client’s coverage placement and commissions. USI alleges two client accounts named Howden as exclusive broker of record on August 3, 2026, and later learned a third client received a similar letter.
USI says the producers’ books generated about $363,000, $1,214,000, and $758,000 in annual revenue. It adds that the accounts it claims moved to Howden represented roughly $144,000, $100,000, and $85,000 per year, and it argues the timing of the letters shortly after the notice periods ended suggests predeparture solicitation.