In the case of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. v. Roberto Ivan Ortega (Case No. 4:24−cv−04962), the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued a Stipulated Preliminary Injunction Order on February 12, 2025.
Charles Schwab alleges that Roberto Ivan Ortega misappropriated its trade secrets and client information to solicit the business of former customers after joining a competitor. After Ortega refused Schwab’s requests to return its information, Schwab filed suit and moved for a preliminary injunction preventing the use or disclosure of its information.
Faced with the reality that a court would likely enter an injunction, Ortega’s counsel agreed to an injunction that prohibited Ortega from using, disclosing, or disseminating Schwab confidential information or soliciting Schwab customers. Ortega is also required to give Schwab access to his computing devices for Schwab to conduct discovery to uncover the scope of the misappropriation.
Courts continue to stress the need to maintain the status quo in cases involving the theft of information. Employers must take the necessary steps to prevent the theft of their information and in the cases where their information has been taken, prevent the use or disclosure of that information by filing a lawsuit and seeking an injunction.