Orthopedic titan Smith & Nephew (FTSE:SN, NYSE:SNN) sued rival device maker Exact Surgical for $1 million dollars for hiring a former S&M rep to sell orthopedic devices in Texas.
Smith & Nephew claims that ex-sales rep Steven Dockery is in violation of a non-compete and non-disclosure agreement he signed when he began working for SNN in 2010.
Dockery earlier this year switched to Exact Surgical, a distributor for Exactech (NSDQ:EXAC), where he remains to this day, allegedly soliciting S&N customers for orthopedic products and operating in a region of Texas that S&N claims is prohibited by the employment contract Dockery signed.
S&N claimed that Exact Surgical "induced, procured, interfered with and caused Dockery to breach his obligations" and that the violations were done "strictly for the motive of profit," causing "significant damage" to S&N, according to legal documents.
"As a result of the tortious interference by Exact Surgical, S&N seeks damages in an amount to be determined at trial but not less than $1 million," the complaint states.
