[Kate Moser]
A San Francisco jury returned a $9.36 million verdict today for Technology Integration Group, a San Diego IT company.
TIG accused San Francisco-based FusionStorm of stealing trade secrets and raiding its best employees to set up an office in Tampa, Fla.
MoFo’s Arturo González, who led the trial team for TIG, said the jury had decided 12-0 in favor of awarding punitive damages. That phase of the trial starts Friday morning. [Update: The jury awarded $1.52 million in punitives Friday, according to MoFo.]
The jury found three former TIG employees, their new company (FusionStorm), and three of its executive officers liable for breach of fiduciary duty, breach of loyalty, misappropriation of trade secrets, and other causes of action, according to MoFo’s news release.
One interesting aspect of the trial, González said, was the number of witnesses who testified by videotape, and how effective it was. “About a dozen witnesses testified by video,” he said. “It just underscores how important it is to make sure you have actual trial lawyers representing you with respect to out-of-state depositions.”
Defense counsel included I. Neel Chatterjee, a partner in the Silicon Valley office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and Daniel Kassabian, a senior associate in Orrick’s San Francisco office. Ragesh Tangri of Durie Tangri and Thomas Hockel of Kelly, Hockel & Klein also represented defendants.
The trial in Technology Integration v. FusionStorm, 07-464358, is being held in front of Judge Ronald Quidachay.
Also on the MoFo trial team were San Diego partner Craig Schloss and associates Stephanie Fong in the San Diego office, Tritia Murata in Los Angeles and Anna Ferrari in the Palo Alto office, as well as senior paralegal Lisa Shunkwiler.
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