Last June’s departure of key executives and dozens of staff from Aon to Alliant has entangled Turner Construction and other major contractors in the dispute.

The heart of the matter is a move by Peter Arkley and Michael Cusack and 60 other employees, 50 of whom went to Alliant within three days of the executives' switch.

"On their way out the door Arkley and Cusack took 36 years of Aon experience and about 100 clients who represent about $20 million of annual revenue," ENR reported.

A judge in New York City last month issued a preliminary injunction against Cusack and Alliant barring the Alliant people involved in the migration from poaching business from any company for which they were "the producer or on whose account he or she worked" for two years before they went to Alliant.

After a hearing in New York State Supreme Court,  a first-level court in New York's system, Justice Bernard J. Fried said it appeared that Aon could win if the dispute goes to trial. He also wrote that he found "much of the tesimony of Jerold Hall, Alliant's CEO, was not believable."