PHILADELPHIA – A pharmaceutical research, development and marketing company alleges a former employee took confidential information with her before leaving to work for a competitor.
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. filed a complaint May 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Pfizer Inc. and Wendy J. Watson alleging trade secret misappropriation, computer fraud and abuse, breach of contract, breach of duty of loyalty, breach of implied covenant of good faith, conversion, unfair competition and unjust enrichment.
The suit states Watson was senior director and director of regulatory liaison for Merck and had access to all of the plaintiff's confidential documents and information.
The plaintiff alleges after informing it that she was leaving to work for Pfizer in early 2011, Watson downloaded more than 2,200 documents from the plaintiff's system, which the plaintiff had no knowledge of until spring 2017. The plaintiff alleges it contacted Pfizer about the alleged breach but the defendant was unwilling to conduct an investigation to the extent that the plaintiff requested.
The plaintiff is seeking trial by jury, compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorneys' fees, costs and expenses incurred and other relief deemed fit. The plaintiff is represented by Anthony M. Insogna and Randall E. Kay of Jones Day in San Diego; Ryan B. McCrum of Jones Day in Cleveland; Stephanie E. Parker of Jones Day in Atlanta; Arlene L. Chow of Hogan Lovells US LLP in New York; and James S. Urban and Jeffery J. Bresch of Jones Day in Pittsburgh.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 2:19-CV-02011