Insurance defense giant Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker has been ordered to disgorge millions of dollars in legal fees paid by an insurance client who accused the firm of helping another client set up a competing business.

In a March 29 decision, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Marcy S. Friedman granted summary judgment to trustee liability insurer Ulico Casualty Co. on its claim that former counsel Wilson Elser breached its fiduciary duty by participating in a scheme to transfer Ulico policyholders to another insurer.