More details emerge in TechAmerica-ITI fight
TechAmerica has filed more detailed accusations against a group of former employees who bolted to a rival association, pilfering intellectual property as they headed out the door.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A version of this story first appeared on FCW.com
TechAmerica officials spelled out more detailed allegations against the IT Industry Council in what they say was a coordinated pilfering of proprietary documents by former employees just before they abruptly left for a rival association.
TechAmerica's initial filing in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on Nov. 8 provided general allegations about the theft of membership information by the former employees but gave few specifics. An amended filing on Dec. 9 accuses the former employees of a coordinated, targeted theft of competitive information that rival ITI could capitalize on.
TechAmerica's original suit followed the Nov. 4 resignation of four of its most senior public procurement lobbyists: Trey Hodgkins, Erica McCann, Pam Walker and Carol Henton. On Nov. 5, ITI announced that the four would form the core of its new venture, the IT Alliance for Public Sector.
In its initial court filing, TechAmerica named Hodgkins, Walker and Henton, but not McCann. TechAmerica is seeking $5 million in damages, a temporary restraining order barring the disclosure of its trade secrets, a permanent injunction, punitive damages, attorneys' fees and court costs.
ITI's leadership called the claims in TechAmerica's initial filing "nebulous" and has asked the court to dismiss the suit.
Of the latest TechAmerica filing, Robert Hoffman, ITI's senior vice president of government relations, said in a statement that his organization was "confident that we will be successful in court, while at the same continuing to advance our industry's job-creating policy agenda."
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