(Denton, Texas; 12/16/11) In a closely watched case, a Denton County jury has decided that defendant Kevin Wolfe and his new company, Heat Shrink Innovations, LLC, should pay Medical Extrusions Technologies – Texas, Inc. almost $700,000 for theft of trade secrets and breach of fiduciary duty.
The individual, Kevin Wolfe, had worked for 5 years as general manager for a FEP heat shrink tubing manufacturer Medical Extrusions Technologies-Texas, Inc., located in Lewisville, Texas. In 2010, Wolfe decided that he wanted to start a competing business, Heat Shrink Innovations, LLC, in Carrollton, Texas. The jury found that Wolfe took trade secrets belonging to METT, and breached his fiduciary duty to METT. The jury also found that Wolfe’s new employer, Heat Shrink Innovations, LLC, participated in the breach of fiduciary duty and conspired with Wolfe and his wife, also a former employee of METT, to harm METT.
Among the allegations was that Wolfe had used METT’s internal financial data to obtain an SBA-backed loan for his new company. Evidence also showed that Wolfe had induced a managerial employee of one of METT’s largest clients to invest in HSI and to move the client’s account to HSI.
After secretly working on the new business venture for more than a year, Wolfe and his wife sent notice of their immediate resignations in a one-line email to METT’s president in late April and started openly working for HSI.
METT obtained a temporary injunction against Wolfe, his wife and HSI shortly thereafter.
The Plaintiff was represented by attorneys Virginia Hammerle and Craig Price of Hammerle Finley Law Firm.
The individual, Kevin Wolfe, had worked for 5 years as general manager for a FEP heat shrink tubing manufacturer Medical Extrusions Technologies-Texas, Inc., located in Lewisville, Texas. In 2010, Wolfe decided that he wanted to start a competing business, Heat Shrink Innovations, LLC, in Carrollton, Texas. The jury found that Wolfe took trade secrets belonging to METT, and breached his fiduciary duty to METT. The jury also found that Wolfe’s new employer, Heat Shrink Innovations, LLC, participated in the breach of fiduciary duty and conspired with Wolfe and his wife, also a former employee of METT, to harm METT.
Among the allegations was that Wolfe had used METT’s internal financial data to obtain an SBA-backed loan for his new company. Evidence also showed that Wolfe had induced a managerial employee of one of METT’s largest clients to invest in HSI and to move the client’s account to HSI.
After secretly working on the new business venture for more than a year, Wolfe and his wife sent notice of their immediate resignations in a one-line email to METT’s president in late April and started openly working for HSI.
METT obtained a temporary injunction against Wolfe, his wife and HSI shortly thereafter.
The Plaintiff was represented by attorneys Virginia Hammerle and Craig Price of Hammerle Finley Law Firm.