Corroon &Black-Rutters & Roberts, Inc. v. Hosc

325 N.W.2d 883 (1982)

Facts

Hosch (D) was an agent licensed to sell insurance. He worked for Roberts Company. In 1973 that company sold its assets to Corroon (P). During his employment, D procured and serviced accounts. When the merger occurred, D was required to sign a covenant not to compete that terminated on December 31, 1977, four years later. When the covenant expired, D went to work for another agency. P was notified that a large number of their accounts for agent of record were being changed; this resulted in substantial losses as 2/3rd of their customer base was melting away. P sued D, and the jury determined that it was unfair competition for D to use customer lists of his former employer to divert clients to his new agency. The jury found for P. The court of appeals reversed. P appealed.