C.V. Starr companies today filed suit in state court in Manhattan accusing American International Group and three of its employees of stealing clients, proprietary information and employees.
The action is the latest court battle between the Starr entities controlled by former AIG Chairman Maurice Greenberg and his ex-company.
Four C.V. Starr & Co. Inc. subsidiaries–Starr Tech, Starr Aviation, C.V. Starr & Co. and American International Marine Agency–filed the action in New York State Supreme Court, a county-level tribunal.
Starr brokerage and managing general agent operations were once intertwined with AIG but began an acrimonious separation after Mr. Greenberg was ousted last year during a New York investigation of accounting and other irregularities at AIG that led the insurer to agree to a $1.64 billion settlement.
The latest Starr suit named up to 100 AIG co-conspirators.
“This lawsuit exposes a string of illegal activity at AIG designed to eliminate the C.V. Starr agencies,” said Starr spokesman Howard Opinksy.
The lawsuit alleges that two former employees and the former vice chairman of Starr misappropriated confidential information and attempted to discredit it in the marketplace once they went over to AIG.
In addition, AIG was accused of “poaching” Starr employees and barring access to their offices.
The agencies are seeking punitive damages and an order prohibiting AIG from using proprietary information of the Starr agencies.
AIG spokesman Christian Murray said the company does not comment on ongoing litigation.
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