MONTEREY, Calif., Feb. 11, 2010 — A federal judge in San Jose, Calif., granted Language Line Services Inc.'s (LLS) request for a preliminary injunction against Language Services Associates LLC (LSA), and William Schwartz and Patrick Curtin – two former employees of Language Line Services who are accused of conspiring to take trade secrets and confidential information about Language Line Services customers to LSA.
The injunction prohibits LSA, Schwartz and Curtin from "contacting, communicating, soliciting, dealing, or doing business with any of the customers or their representatives" on a list of over 1200 of Language Line Services' top customers that Language Line Services alleges was taken by the former employees and subsequently used by LSA. The injunction also prohibits the defendants in the suit from using, copying or destroying materials that Schwartz and Curtin allegedly took from Language Line Services. The company filed suit in June for misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract.
"It is critical that Language Line Services protects its trade secrets and the confidential information of its customers," said Steven Weinberg, counsel for Language Line Services. "Language Line customers also need to know that LSA is barred from soliciting their business during this injunction period."
U.S. District Judge James Ware, who granted the preliminary injunction, said there is no dispute that LSA, Schwartz and Curtin improperly acquired and used the information.
The California Uniform Trade Secret Act requires the plaintiff to demonstrate ownership of a trade secret, improper use by the defendant and damages. In his order granting the preliminary injunction, Ware said Language Line Services established a reasonable likelihood that it will succeed on its claim under the act.
About Language Line Services
Language Line Services, the global leader in telephone interpreting and language solutions, serves clients in government, healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, utilities, insurance and many other industries by quickly connecting them to their customers, patients and sales prospects in more than 170 spoken languages as well as American Sign Language (ASL) and Mexican Sign Language (LSM). Growth of the language interpreting industry has soared with increased immigration and government regulatory policies mandating that organizations provide services to limited English speakers in their own languages. Language Line Services is recognized as a trusted partner to thousands of public and private organizations throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, providing easy access to the industry's fastest language interpreting service at highly competitive rates.
For more information about Language Line Services' suite of telephone, on-site and video interpreting, document translation, interpreter assessment and training programs, please call (800) 752-6096 or visit http://www.languageline.com/industry_healthcare.
Contact:
Tracy Williams
Olmstead Williams Communications
310.824.9000
Email
http://www.olmsteadwilliams.com
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