TIG Awarded $10.8 Million Verdict in Misappropriation of Trade Secrets Case

Last week, a San Francisco jury found FusionStorm of Tampa liable for misappropriation of trade secrets and awarded the San Diego based technology company Technology Integration Group (TIG) more than $10.8 million in damages.

Three former TIG employees had been accused of misappropriating multiple trade secrets and conspiring to harm TIG’s Tampa operations. According to court documents, TIG hired one of those employees as branch manager for its Tampa, Florida office in August 2004. Two years later, he allegedly traveled to California to meet with FusionStorm's representatives. Prior to the meeting, he e-mailed TIG’s years of profit and loss statements to FusionStorm’s vice president of sales and chief executive officer from his TIG computer.

He also was alleged to have disclosed information concerning various employees from TIG's Tampa office, including their skills and salaries in order that they might be approached for employment. By the time he left TIG he was also alleged to have already obtained office space for FusionStorm.

The verdict included $9.36 Million in compensatory damages and $1.525 Million in punitive damages ($175,000 of which was personally awarded against the former TIG branch manager).

The case is PC Specialists, Inc., dba Technology Integration vs. FusionStorm, et al., San Francisco Superior Court Case No. CGC-07-464358 (July 16, 2010).