PHILADELPHIA — A Berks County technology company is suing a former employee and his company, alleging he operated in competition against the plaintiff while still employed by his original company.
Fidelity Technologies Corporation in Reading and Fidelity Technologies Middle East LLC in Abu Dhabi filed a lawsuit Jan. 8 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Ryan T. Roche of Melbourne, Florida, Strafe Services Inc., also of Melbourne, and Immersive Display Solutions Inc. of Kennesaw, Georgia, alleging unjust enrichment, civil conspiracy and unfair competition.
According to the suit, Fidelity hired Roche Aug. 2, 2010, to serve as an alternate site manager in its field services division and, a year later, he transferred to the simulation and training division as a project manager. He eventually was promoted to business development director in 2013, the suit states, and by 2014, Roche was assigned additional duties as general manager of Fidelity Middle East.
When he was hired, the lawsuit states, Roche signed Fidelity's security for confidential and classified material policy, standards of business ethics and conduct and e-mail/Internet/phone policy. The lawsuit says Roche and Strafe conspired to acquire Immersive Display Solutions and use Fidelity’s trade secrets and other confidential information to their benefit.
Together, the defendants used that information to interfere with Fidelity’s contractual relationships and unfairly compete with Fidelity, the suit states.
The plaintiffs seek monetary damages believed to be several million dollars, plus costs of the suit. They will be represented by attorney Jeffrey D. Bukowski of Steven & Lee PC in Reading.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case number 5:16-cv-00070-JFL