Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced a favorable decision in its trade secrets and breach of contract case against Advanced Materials Technology, Inc. (AMT) and three of its employees in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Agilent filed the lawsuit in January 2008 to protect confidential and proprietary information relating to its high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technology.
“We are extremely pleased with the decision by the Delaware court”
The decision in favor of Agilent found that the individual defendants, members of AMT’s senior management team, breached their employment contracts with Agilent by removing Agilent property without permission, and used Agilent confidential information to benefit AMT. In particular, the court ruled that AMT illegally used Agilent trade secrets and confidential information in developing its Halo HPLC columns.
The court also ruled that the defendants are liable for monetary damages and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by Agilent as a result of the individual defendants’ willful and malicious conduct.
“We are extremely pleased with the decision by the Delaware court,” said Helen Stimson, Agilent vice president and general manager, Consumables and Supplies Division. “Intellectual property is the bedrock of HP/Agilent’s 70-year history. This ruling signifies that we will vigorously protect the innovative spirit and business integrity that is the core of our company.”
Agilent is a leading global developer and manufacturer of HPLC instruments, columns, supplies and support. HPLC is a form of liquid chromatography used frequently in biochemistry and analytical chemistry. Sometimes referred to as high-pressure liquid chromatography, it is used to separate components of a mixture by using a variety of chemical interactions between the substance being analyzed and the chromatography column.
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