Farmers Insurance office in Maryland. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM
Farmers is suing a former agent, alleging he was funneling clients away from the carrier even while working as a Farmers representative.
The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma on March 11, says Bradley McKinney was a Farmers agent from August 2009 to May 2025. Per the carrier's Agent Appointment Agreement, he was required to place all qualifying business with Farmers or an affiliate before using outside carriers.
But Farmers says, in 2023, McKinney's wife, Tory McKinney, and a former employee, Christopher Spicer, left McKinney's firm to join a Hometown Insurance office in Tulsa. McKinney then began sending policyholders and qualified leads to them, instead of placing the business with Farmers.
Farmers also alleges that, in December 2024, McKinney went into a Farmers database to generate a report that sorted agency contacts by age and date range. And in February 2025, he downloaded the agency's entire book of business into a spreadsheet. Two days later, he submitted his resignation letter.
Farmers is suing McKinney, his wife and McKinney Insurance & Financial Services LLC for trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, tortious interference with contract and reasonable business expectations, civil conspiracy, and a Computer Fraud and Abuse Act claim. Farmers wants compensatory and exemplary damages, disgorgement, and a court order that requires the return or destruction of the data it says McKinney took.
Photo credit: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM
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