Howden US Claims Judge Brown & Brown Employees Departed Over Alleged ‘Mistreatment’
In a recent court filing dated Christmas, Howden US responded to a request from rival Brown & Brown for a temporary restraining order. Howden US asserted that the recent departure of Brown & Brown employees to their firm was “caused entirely by Brown’s mistreatment of people.”
<p>Last week, Brown & Brown initiated a lawsuit in Massachusetts Superior Court against Howden US and numerous individuals, alleging trade-secret theft, contract breaches, and unfair competition. The Florida-based broker is seeking an injunction.</p>
<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2025/12/24/852278.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brown & Brown Files Suit Over Alleged Howden Poaching of 200+ Employees</a></p>
<p>On December 26, Howden US, representing itself and 28 individual defendants, countered in a filing, stating that the narrative is not about a “shocking pirate raid” but rather a story of “employees who were so unhappy with Brown’s terrible management and poor, under-market compensation that, having been pushed to the brink, they were prepared to leave Brown without having secured subsequent employment.”</p>
<p>The filing emphasized that Howden provided these employees with jobs and instructed them not to take any confidential information. “As far as clients, they were always going to follow — the nature of the industry is that clients follow their brokers,” the opposition to the TRO stated. They added that there was “no grand plot to steal from Brown,” suggesting that Brown & Brown should focus on “correcting its governance shortcomings and problematic corporate culture.”</p>
<p>Howden argued that the injunction sought by Brown & Brown would impede the defendants’ ability to work, and noted that the broker’s filing lacks substantial allegations against most of the individuals listed as defendants. Howden contended that Brown & Brown has not demonstrated that a TRO is warranted.</p>
<p>The 72-page filing, <a href="https://www.masscourts.org/eservices/searchresults.page?x=*FnK0u-1RgH4S5v5emq57Efigbrho8ybfA4FHp48jPQN9vWcKHddOORoV6G5I4*QVp8xS3ArJbGQ6RD-ytaA0Pt*GCU6fT-5OaBVrMIMtfpDBbmEncwHQ*mwPB7p9uWIJ1Flm3f2ODoYZT5bZUBnHRh49Qz7MvvHWuXReAWqOBBO-63tVnO27Kb0L6flswxARYSReBK9BllPHBGU610QZA&antiCache=1767031375464" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available here</a>, includes claims regarding a deteriorating corporate culture at Brown & Brown, inadequate compensation, manipulative financial reporting, and employee discrimination. Brown & Brown has not yet responded to requests for comment.</p>
<p>Howden US, which launched its U.S. retail broking business in August with Mike Parrish as CEO, is also facing lawsuits from brokers Aon, Marsh, and WTW.</p>
<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2025/12/15/851060.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aon Adds to List of Brokers Suing Howden US for Alleged Poaching, Theft</a></p>
<p>In August, Howden appointed Jim Hays as vice chairman of Howden Group Holdings. Hays, who founded the Hays Company in 1994 and sold it to Brown & Brown in 2018, previously served as vice chair and was a board member at Brown & Brown. Notably, while Hays Company is a plaintiff in the case against Howden US, Jim Hays himself is not listed as a defendant. However, he did file a declaration in response to Brown & Brown's allegations against him.</p>
<p>Brown & Brown's complaint alleges that Hays “fully participated in the planning and effectuation” of the alleged employee raid and is now “illegally trying to steal the business back.” Hays countered that he holds a significant amount of shares in Brown & Brown and has continued to purchase more. “The idea that I would intentionally harm a company in which I am heavily invested makes no sense and is contrary to my own financial interests,” Hays stated. He added that he resigned from Brown & Brown in March 2024 after his employment was terminated in January following a meeting with CEO Powell Brown, during which Brown expressed a desire for Hays to no longer be involved in the business.</p>
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In a recent court filing dated Christmas, Howden US responded to a request from rival Brown & Brown for a temporary restraining order. Howden US asserted that the recent departure of Brown & Brown employees to their firm was “caused entirely by Brown’s mistreatment of people.”
<p>Last week, Brown & Brown initiated a lawsuit in Massachusetts Superior Court against Howden US and numerous individuals, alleging trade-secret theft, contract breaches, and unfair competition. The Florida-based broker is seeking an injunction.</p>
<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2025/12/24/852278.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brown & Brown Files Suit Over Alleged Howden Poaching of 200+ Employees</a></p>
<p>On December 26, Howden US, representing itself and 28 individual defendants, countered in a filing, stating that the narrative is not about a “shocking pirate raid” but rather a story of “employees who were so unhappy with Brown’s terrible management and poor, under-market compensation that, having been pushed to the brink, they were prepared to leave Brown without having secured subsequent employment.”</p>
<p>The filing emphasized that Howden provided these employees with jobs and instructed them not to take any confidential information. “As far as clients, they were always going to follow — the nature of the industry is that clients follow their brokers,” the opposition to the TRO stated. They added that there was “no grand plot to steal from Brown,” suggesting that Brown & Brown should focus on “correcting its governance shortcomings and problematic corporate culture.”</p>
<p>Howden argued that the injunction sought by Brown & Brown would impede the defendants’ ability to work, and noted that the broker’s filing lacks substantial allegations against most of the individuals listed as defendants. Howden contended that Brown & Brown has not demonstrated that a TRO is warranted.</p>
<p>The 72-page filing, <a href="https://www.masscourts.org/eservices/searchresults.page?x=*FnK0u-1RgH4S5v5emq57Efigbrho8ybfA4FHp48jPQN9vWcKHddOORoV6G5I4*QVp8xS3ArJbGQ6RD-ytaA0Pt*GCU6fT-5OaBVrMIMtfpDBbmEncwHQ*mwPB7p9uWIJ1Flm3f2ODoYZT5bZUBnHRh49Qz7MvvHWuXReAWqOBBO-63tVnO27Kb0L6flswxARYSReBK9BllPHBGU610QZA&antiCache=1767031375464" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available here</a>, includes claims regarding a deteriorating corporate culture at Brown & Brown, inadequate compensation, manipulative financial reporting, and employee discrimination. Brown & Brown has not yet responded to requests for comment.</p>
<p>Howden US, which launched its U.S. retail broking business in August with Mike Parrish as CEO, is also facing lawsuits from brokers Aon, Marsh, and WTW.</p>
<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2025/12/15/851060.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aon Adds to List of Brokers Suing Howden US for Alleged Poaching, Theft</a></p>
<p>In August, Howden appointed Jim Hays as vice chairman of Howden Group Holdings. Hays, who founded the Hays Company in 1994 and sold it to Brown & Brown in 2018, previously served as vice chair and was a board member at Brown & Brown. Notably, while Hays Company is a plaintiff in the case against Howden US, Jim Hays himself is not listed as a defendant. However, he did file a declaration in response to Brown & Brown's allegations against him.</p>
<p>Brown & Brown's complaint alleges that Hays “fully participated in the planning and effectuation” of the alleged employee raid and is now “illegally trying to steal the business back.” Hays countered that he holds a significant amount of shares in Brown & Brown and has continued to purchase more. “The idea that I would intentionally harm a company in which I am heavily invested makes no sense and is contrary to my own financial interests,” Hays stated. He added that he resigned from Brown & Brown in March 2024 after his employment was terminated in January following a meeting with CEO Powell Brown, during which Brown expressed a desire for Hays to no longer be involved in the business.</p>
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