Tortious Interference with Contractual Relationship – Violation of Non-Compete – Theft of Trade Secrets

The Peterson Bernard Team successfully defended an employee of a major media conglomerate. In the law suit, plaintiff alleged multiple claims arising out of a business relationship including tortious inference with contractual relationships, violation of non-compete agreements, theft of trade secrets, and other business torts. Defendant was a former employee of plaintiff’s business who became an employee/executive of the major media conglomerate. Plaintiff claimed in its suit that the defendant through its employee, interfered with his business relationships, and obtained proprietary information. The defendants claimed that the cancellation of the contracts was legal and justified by the terms of the contract. The defendants were successful in establishing that there was no proprietary information obtained from the plaintiff which the defendants used to their advantage. 

After deliberating almost six (6) hours, the jury returned a defense verdict that the defendants caused no harm to the Plaintiff and soundly rejected any of the theories of recovery advanced by the plaintiff. Post-verdict motions filed by the Plaintiff for a new trial were denied. Plaintiff filed an appeal with the Fourth District Court of Appeal. The appellate matter was voluntarily dismissed in June of 2011, bringing this matter to a conclusion.