Cargill Fails in US$10 Million Damages Claim Against Former Workers
Cargill has failed in its bid to claim US$10.2 million damages from former employees it accused of stealing trade secrets when they left to form their own company, says Flex News.
Cargill brought the case against the trio, Matt Budine, Brian Sundberg, and Luciana Jonkman, after they formed dairy nutrition and management consultancy firm Progressive Dairy Solutions, accusing them of misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, and fraud.
Following a three-week trial in Fresno, California, a federal court jury dismissed Cargill’s claims, declaring them to be “objectively specious”*. Lawyers for the three former Cargill workers said this could be defined as the court deciding Cargill’s case had lacked any basis in evidence.**
* Yes, I had to look that up too: Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious.
** The "Big C" unsurprisingly didn't quite put the same interpretation on things as the defendant's lawyers saying that "that neither side has prevailed on any claim against the other side," and that it was considering an appeal.
Cargill brought the case against the trio, Matt Budine, Brian Sundberg, and Luciana Jonkman, after they formed dairy nutrition and management consultancy firm Progressive Dairy Solutions, accusing them of misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, and fraud.
Following a three-week trial in Fresno, California, a federal court jury dismissed Cargill’s claims, declaring them to be “objectively specious”*. Lawyers for the three former Cargill workers said this could be defined as the court deciding Cargill’s case had lacked any basis in evidence.**
* Yes, I had to look that up too: Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious.
** The "Big C" unsurprisingly didn't quite put the same interpretation on things as the defendant's lawyers saying that "that neither side has prevailed on any claim against the other side," and that it was considering an appeal.
