PHILADELPHIA – A Springfield gym alleges that a former employee misappropriated trade secrets to start a competing gym.
Cool Hand LLC filed a complaint on Sept. 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Thiago Thomaz and House of Arts Martial Arts Academy LLC alleging violation of the Defend Trade Secrets Act, breach of contract and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff does business as UFC Gym Springfield and that Thomaz was hired as a front desk attendant in 2015 and also taught a Brazilian Ju-Jitzu class. The suit states Thomaz resigned abruptly in July 2017 and formed the competing defendant company just three miles away.
The plaintiff holds Thomaz and House of Arts Martial Arts Academy, LLC responsible because the defendants allegedly took customer lists and information in order to gain business advantage over the plaintiff.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks order the defendant to return and cease all use of plaintiff's trade secrets, injunctive relief, restitution and compensatory damages, punitive damages, court costs and any further relief the court grants. It is represented by Sidney L. Gold of Sidney L. Gold & Associates PC in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 2:17-cv-04148-PBT