New York-based insurance broker USI Insurance Services has gone to court to halt a former employee it alleges has poached a few customers for his own newly-formed agency.
USI claims that Billy J. MacNair is violating employment and severance agreements by using confidential information and soliciting his former clients for his own Pennsylvania-based MacNair Enterprises LLC in direct competition with USI.
According to the complaint filed in federal district court for Connecticut, MacNair worked for USI in its Norwalk, Connecticut office from September 18, 2023, to January 29, 2026, during which time he gained access to USI’s confidential information while building and managing a book of business.
USI said MacNair’s employment was “involuntarily terminated” but the complaint does not say why. The complaint maintains that under his employment agreement, MacNair agreed he would not use confidential information or solicit clients he managed for two years after leaving USI.
However, according to USI, in April, just three months after his termination, USI learned that three of his clients were leaving USI and moving their business to MacNair at his new employer. The three represented annual revenues to USI of $337,000.
At that time in April, USI believed MacNair had taken a job with a competitor, Martin Insurance Group. USI says MacNair confirmed he had contacted the three clients. Only later did USI learn that MacNair was not with the Martin firm but had opened his own agency.
According to the state of Pennsylvania’s business records, MacNair Enterprises LLC was formed March 3, 2026. The record includes an indication that the name was changed to that from MNE Consulting LLC.
USI says under the terms of the separation agreement, USI has paid and continues to pay MacNair regular installments of severance benefits. Assuming MacNair’s full compliance with his employment agreements, he was to receive an aggregate amount of $150,000, equivalent to six months of salary, less his share of elected health coverage costs. USI says it has also maintained MacNair’s medical, dental, and vision coverages in effect.
According to USI, MacNair has used “USI’s confidential information and its reputation in the insurance industry to build the book of business he presided over on behalf of USI” and is now using that information and those relationships to build his new agency,
USI is seeking monetary damages and an injunction to stop MacNair’s alleged “ongoing violations” of his agreements with USI.
MacNair could not be reached for comment.
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