Crop Insurance Exec Named In Lawsuit By Ex-Employer

Feb. 11--A Jacksonville business is suing a former employee over allegations he used confidential company information to compete against it.

CGB Diversified Services at 1608 W. Lafayette Ave. contends in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that James Bennett has infringed on non-competitive and confidential trade secret information.

Bennett was a crop insurance account executive for the company -- a position the lawsuit said entailed high level support to customers and networking with potential companies in Illinois, Wisconsin and portions of Indiana and Iowa.

He had access to confidential and trade secret information and attended monthly training seminars, according to the complaint.

Bennett entered a customer non-solicitation, non-compete and confidentiality agreement when he was first employed with CGB Diversified Services Nov. 5, 2003, which had provisions effective for two years after employment with the company. He voluntarily resigned Jan. 14, accepting a position with Hudson Insurance Group as the mid-east regional vice president.

Hudson Insurance Group sent a press release to several CGB Diversified Services employees and customers that mentioned Bennett's new career, attaching a Bloomington phone number to contact him. The press release included a list of incentives for doing business with Hudson Insurance Group.

Bennett corresponded with Hudson Insurance Group through his work e-mail starting in September, which the lawsuit contends was a breach of fiduciary duties. CGB Diversified Services also alleges civil conspiracy because Hudson Insurance Group spent a considerable amount of time getting Bennett to leave the company, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit requests temporary, preliminary and permanent injunctions against Bennett and Hudson Insurance Group to prohibit it from soliciting or doing business with CGB Diversified Services clients. It also wants any money Bennett received as a result of his networking with CGB Diversified Services customers.

If this continues, CGB Diversified Services may incur more than $350,000 in damages this year alone, the lawsuit said.

Bennett has not yet responded to the complaint. Assertions made in a lawsuit present only one side of a claim.

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