A financial company is suing a former employee to prohibit him from contacting former clients after he left to work for another competitor.
Ameriprise of Center Valley, Pa. filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Leslie George Markus, citing breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition and injunctive relief.
The plaintiff alleges that the defendant, now an agent for New Lincoln Investments, violated a confidentiality agreement and compliance manual he signed as an Ameriprise representative in May 2012 when he solicited her former Ameriprise clients for his new company. Markus began employment with Lincoln Investments in September, the complaint states.
The plaintiff is seeking a permanent order prohibiting future clients, the return of Ameriprise trade secrets, manuals and client lists, plus damages, attorney fees and litigation costs.
The plaintiff is represented by Micah L. Craft of Stevens and Lee in Lawrenceville, N.J.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 5:15-CV-05443