PHILADELPHIA — A tennis academy is suing a tennis coach, citing alleged breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets.
High Performance Tennis Academy filed a complaint recently in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas against Thomas Gutteridge, alleging the defendant breached the Non-Disclosure Agreement by soliciting business directly or indirectly from at least 10 of plaintiff's customers for his own benefit and to the detriment of plaintiff.
The defendant removed the case to Philadelphia federal court on Nov. 16.
According to the complaint, in 2015, High Performance Tennis Academy hired Guttridge as a tennis coach and he agreed on a non-disclosure agreement and not to solicit plaintiff's tennis students during his employment or for a period of two years after his employment ended.
However on Oct. 15, without any advance notice or warning, defendant verbally notified High Performance Tennis Academy that he wanted to resign his employment. It was discovered that he began soliciting the academy's players for lessons.
Furthermore, following his resignation, defendant retained a cellular telephone that was the property of High Performance Tennis Academy that contained proprietary and confidential information.
The plaintiff holds Gutteridge responsible because the defendant allegedly used and will continue to use and/or attempt to use plaintiff's trade secrets to misappropriate them for his own benefit or for the benefit of a third-party tennis club or training school.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks special and permanent injunction, award exemplary damages, attorneys' fees, and any other relief to which the court finds High Performance Tennis Academy is entitled. They are represented by Jennifer Platziere Snyder of Dilworth Paxson LLP in Philadelphia.