GREENVILLE, S.C.—A South Carolina federal court has set the schedule for discovery, mediation and jury selection in a case brought by Michelin North America Inc. that accuses a former employee of divulging trade secrets.
Michelin filed a complaint against Michael Dotson in May 2019 before the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Greenville Division.
According to the complaint, Dotson worked in Michelin's Research & Development department from April 2005 to August 2018, leaving the company to become vice president of business transformations at Carlstar Group L.L.C.
Because of his access to Michelin's confidential, proprietary and trade secret information, Dotson had signed a Secrecy and Non-Compete Agreement with the company, agreeing not to share its secrets with competitors, the complaint said.
However, a Carlstar employee told Michelin in December 2018 that Dotson had been using an external hard drive to share Michelin documents during meetings at Carlstar. These documents included spreadsheets, mixing information and other data, the complaint said.
"Dotson has used and shared with others at Carlstar information of Michelin that constitutes trade secrets under the Defend Trade Secrets Act," the complaint alleged.
"Michelin provided Dotson with access to certain trade secrets of Michelin because Dotson was under duties of loyalty and confidentiality to Michelin, which Michelin believed Dotson would fulfill," it said.
Michelin sought temporary and permanent injunctions against Dotson sharing Michelin's trade secrets; the return of all its property and materials; and unspecified damages and attorneys' fees.
Dotson denied all of Michelin's allegations in a response to the complaint filed in June 2019.
The latest document filed in the case was an scheduling order filed Feb. 7 by Judge Timothy M. Cain.