[Image from Bill Oxford on Unsplash]
Abbott Laboratories has obtained a temporary restraining order against a former marketing executive.
The company alleges the former employee stole trade secrets, including details of upcoming COVID-19 products, before accepting a role at a competitor.
Virginia Kendall, a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, decided to grant the two-week restraining order against Jerome Clavel, a former Abbott vice president, for two weeks.
The judge agreed Clavel had access to trade secrets regarding “diagnostic and sensitive projects involving COVID-19 testing products.” The order will prevent Clavel from beginning to work for Bio-Rad Laboratories, a life sciences manufacturer involved in drug discovery and manufacturing. Clavel’s last day at Abbott was Oct. 30. Clavel “failed to work out his employment parameters with a competitor in spite of Abbott’s long history of doing so,” Kendall wrote in the order.
The order also permits expedited discovery for Abbott to determine which information was allegedly stolen.
Abbott claims Clavel downloaded company materials onto at least five USB hard drives. It also alleges that he forwarded confidential information and market predictions to a personal email address. The emails reportedly included information about an Abbott COVID-19 test.
The order forces Clavel to surrender the USB drives within 24 hours and turn over sensitive emails within one week.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Clavel held the Abbott position for one year and seven months.
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