Aon Risk Services Cos. has joined a growing list of insurance brokers pursuing legal action against Howden US. The lawsuit, filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, names Howden US along with two former Aon employees, Anthony Rampersaud and Nancy Montalvo.
The complaint alleges employee poaching, breach of employment contracts, and the misuse of confidential and proprietary information. According to the filing, both former employees resigned from Aon and joined Howden US, the U.S. retail broking business that Howden launched only months ago.
Allegations Involving Confidential Information
In its complaint, Aon seeks an injunction to prevent the alleged misuse of what it describes as boxes of documents containing confidential and proprietary information. The lawsuit states that Rampersaud, a New York-based managing director who joined Aon in 2022, sent these documents to his home shortly before resigning. Six employees who reported to him resigned on the same day and also joined Howden US.
Aon further alleges that Montalvo forwarded a client list to her personal email address. Additionally, the company claims that Rampersaud still possesses a cellphone issued by Aon. According to Aon, both individuals violated the terms of their employment contracts.
The company stated that its internal investigation remains ongoing. It added that the information identified so far may represent only an initial portion of the alleged misconduct.
Claims Against Howden US
Aon’s lawsuit characterizes Howden US as attempting to establish its presence in the U.S. market by recruiting employees and clients from established brokerages. The filing alleges that Howden US encouraged employees to solicit entire teams to leave their positions and perform the same work at Howden.
The complaint describes what Aon calls a pattern of unlawful conduct, including the misappropriation of confidential information such as detailed client and employee data. Aon argues that this conduct warrants injunctive relief against the defendants.
According to the lawsuit, courts have granted similar relief in cases brought by other brokers. In those matters, former employees were ordered to return confidential information.
Related Litigation Involving Other Brokers
Howden US is also facing legal action from other major brokerage firms. Marsh has filed a lawsuit against Howden US Chief Executive Officer Michael Parrish and several former employees. That suit alleges breaches of employee contracts. Marsh has also filed a separate lawsuit against another group of former employees who later joined Howden US.
In addition, Aon’s filing notes that Willis Towers Watson, also known as WTW, has sued Howden US. In some of these cases, courts have issued orders requiring former employees to return confidential materials.
Timeline of the Alleged Events
According to Aon, Rampersaud met with Howden founder David Howden in London between late September and early October. The lawsuit alleges that following this meeting, Rampersaud began coordinating a group resignation to join Howden US.
Soon afterward, Aon claims it identified irregular printing activity involving documents that contained confidential and trade secret information. The complaint outlines alleged online search histories, the printing of shipping labels, and communications with employees using personal email accounts.
Rampersaud and six other employees resigned from Aon on Nov. 25. Earlier this month, Aon sent couriers to the residences of Rampersaud and Montalvo to recover company devices, computers, badges, and boxes. According to the filing, not all requested items were surrendered.
Ongoing Developments
The lawsuit marks the latest development in a series of disputes involving Howden US and former employees of major brokerage firms. The case remains pending, and Aon has indicated that its investigation into the matter is continuing.
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