AXA China Region has started legal proceedings against Pacific Century Insurance and nine former employees seeking injunctions over the use of allegedly stolen client details and damages for loss of future income.
AXA took the action after about 200 agents - roughly 8 per cent of its team - joined Pacific Century Insurance, which is controlled by Pacific Century Group.
After the defections, thousands of AXA clients terminated their policies and replaced them with Pacific Century Insurance policies, a source said.
In writs filed yesterday at the High Court, AXA alleged some of the former agents stole client information for the purpose of helping Pacific Century Insurance form a plan-matching scheme.
In this scheme, Pacific Century Insurance has a range of policies which it claims match the benefits of AXA policies.
The plan helped the defecting agents to persuade AXA policyholders to switch allegiance, according to the writs.