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New York State Supreme Court Justice Herman Cahn has granted American International Group Inc. a temporary restraining order against a managing general agency owned by C.V. Starr & Co., the insurance company being run by ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½’s own former chairman, Maurice “Hank” Greenberg.

The order bars Greenberg’s agency from pursuing contracts with National Indemnity on business currently with ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½. It is in effect until Thursday, Feb. 2, when the court will hear arguments from lawyers on ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½’s allegations against C.V. Starr and Starr Technical, its MGA that specializes in oil and chemical industry insurance.

ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½ has claimed that Starr Technical has been using “unauthorized” reinsurance agreements with National Indemnity, a unit of Berkshire Hathaway, to take business now placed with ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½ and give it to other insurers. ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½ maintains that Starr Technical and ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½ have had an exclusive contract since 1992, which includes allowing Starr Technical to sell policies in ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½’s name.

C.V. Starr has countered with its own lawsuit claiming ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½ is trying to keep its agency from competing. Starr claims that its agency is free to write accounts with other carriers when ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½ is not competitive. Its lawyers have accused ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½ of trying to close down Starr agencies and urging clients not to do business with Greenberg’s companies.

Topics Insurance Wholesale ÌìÃÀÍøÕ¾´«Ã½´«Ã½