C.V. Starr companies today filed suit in state court inManhattan accusing American International Group and three of itsemployees of stealing clients, proprietary information andemployees.

The action is the latest court battle between the Starr entitiescontrolled by former AIG Chairman Maurice Greenberg and hisex-company.

Four C.V. Starr & Co. Inc. subsidiaries–Starr Tech, StarrAviation, C.V. Starr & Co. and American International MarineAgency–filed the action in New York State Supreme Court, acounty-level tribunal.

Starr brokerage and managing general agent operations were onceintertwined with AIG but began an acrimonious separation after Mr.Greenberg was ousted last year during a New York investigation ofaccounting and other irregularities at AIG that led the insurer toagree to a $1.64 billion settlement.

The latest Starr suit named up to 100 AIG co-conspirators.

“This lawsuit exposes a string of illegal activity at AIGdesigned to eliminate the C.V. Starr agencies,” said Starrspokesman Howard Opinksy.

The lawsuit alleges that two former employees and the formervice chairman of Starr misappropriated confidential information andattempted to discredit it in the marketplace once they went over toAIG.

In addition, AIG was accused of “poaching” Starr employees andbarring access to their offices.

The agencies are seeking punitive damages and an orderprohibiting AIG from using proprietary information of the Starragencies.

AIG spokesman Christian Murray said the company does not commenton ongoing litigation.