Страховая Willis Towers Watson подала иск к конкуренту Lockton из-за массового перехода сотрудников и клиентов

Business By Beth Treffeisen 2 minutes to read Eighteen employees at global insurance giant Willis Towers Watson resigned within 44 minutes last month and joined a competing firm, taking clients with them, according to a lawsuit filed in Boston. The mass departure began at 8:02 a.m. on Aug. 19 and ended at 8:46 a.m., according to a complaint filed by Willis Towers Watson Northeast in Suffolk Superior Court five days later. The company alleges the timing was no coincidence and accuses rival Lockton of orchestrating a “smash and grab” of its employees and client relationships. Headquartered in the UK, Willis Towers Watson, commonly known as WTW, is a global insurance brokerage and risk-management company with a Boston office at 125 High St.  Advertisement: Lockton, one of the world’s largest privately held insurance brokerage firms headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, has a Boston office at 225 Franklin St. The companies’ offices are right next to each other in downtown Boston. The 18 employees, who are mostly from Massachusetts, also include workers from Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Alabama, according to the complaint. They were part of a specialized team that provided insurance and risk-management services to construction companies nationwide. Together, the departing employees represented more than $5 million in annual revenue for WTW, the company alleges. WTW also says it believes Lockton may be targeting additional clients. Advertisement: The insurance company is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Lockton and the former employees. WTW is also asking the court to stop further solicitation and prevent Lockton from servicing certain accounts that the company says it took from them. The company described the alleged conduct as “so brazen, severe, and outrageous” that it warrants substantial relief.  “The size and significance of this raid, and the egregious way Defendants systematically sought to pilfer WTW’s client relationships, require commensurate relief,” the complaint states. A hearing on WTW’s request for a preliminary injunction was scheduled for Aug. 26, but the court did not hold it. The docket indicates the parties may be working toward a resolution outside of court. As of Tuesday, the court had not posted an update, and the case remained open. WTWs Northeast’s lawyers did not have further comment. Lockton did not immediately return requests for comment. Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.