"We will not comment on the allegations contained in the complaint other than that the lawsuit has no merit," an Allianz spokeswoman said.

In a complaint filed on Thursday in the California Superior Court in Orange County, Gross said Pimco managing directors were "driven by a lust for power, greed, and a desire to improve their own financial position and reputation" in their ultimately successful plot to oust him. His departure was announced on Sept. 26, 2014.

(Reporting by Jonathan Gould; editing by David Clarke)