Willis Towers Watson PLC Files Lawsuit Against Alliant, Alleging Employee Poaching

Posted on November 14th, 2023 at 2:45 PM

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law 

Willis Towers Watson PLC has filed a lawsuit against Alliant Insurance Services Inc. in a federal district court in Richmond, Virginia.

The lawsuit alleges that a recently retired Willis official, Douglas Pera, who formerly supervised seven employees, encouraged them to join him at Alliant.

The lawsuit claims that Mr. Pera and the other employees engaged in a "coordinated raid" on Willis' Glen Allen office and real estate practice. This effort began in August and concluded with the last two employees leaving on October 4. Many departing employees are bound by "narrowly tailored restrictive covenants" that prohibit them from soliciting or serving Willis clients. According to BusinessInsurance.com, the lawsuit further alleges that those departing employees have solicited business from several Willis clients.

The charges in the lawsuit against the former employees and Alliant include tortious interference with contract, breach of contract, violation of the Defend Trade Secrets Act, and breach of the duty of loyalty. Willis is seeking temporary, preliminary, and permanent injunctive relief to prevent the defendants from continuing to breach their restrictive covenants and soliciting business from Willis' clients.

 

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.

Tags:

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

Jim, Stephany and the whole team were a God send.  We felt like we were put into a situation where we had no advocate. Jim’s team came in with a strong, well laid out strategy on how to get our story heard. Where our outside compliance company had no ability to help, our Broker Dealer was impenitent, and the regulators were aggressive pursuing vague rules, Jim came like a barricade against an assault we did not understand. Though you pay member dues to be affiliated with FINRA and a B/D, you have no voice. The only thing that is truly heard in this un-level playing field is a bulldog’s bark like Jim’s. I would encourage anyone to call Jim and his team to find a real ally in the tough and complicated world of securities regulation. They are truly the best.

Greg P.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

February 4, 2026
Investor Redemptions Rise in Nontraded BDCs Amid Credit Concerns

Financial advisors and their clients have increased redemptions from nontraded business development companies (BDCs) following a series of high-profile corporate bankruptcies, according to InvestmentNews. The surge highlights growing investor concern about liquidity and credit exposure within these high-yield but often risky investment ...

February 3, 2026
FINRA Accuses Spartan Capital of Widespread Churning That Allegedly Harmed Customers

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has brought a disciplinary complaint against Spartan Capital Securities and several senior leaders of the New York City–based broker-dealer, alleging that the firm facilitated excessive trading that generated millions of dollars in revenue while causing substantial losses to customers.

February 2, 2026
California Investors Allege Unsuitable DST Recommendations in FINRA Arbitration

Two investors from the San Francisco Bay Area have filed a FINRA arbitration claim against brokerage firm Realized Financial and its financial advisors.