- IBM (NYSE:IBM) is suing former human resources VP and Chief Diversity Officer Lindsay-Rae McIntyre alleging a violation of a one-year non-competitive agreement.
- Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) named McIntyre as their new Chief Diversity Officer over the weekend.
- IBM’s side: The company says McIntyre “abruptly resigned to compete against IBM” and possesses confidential and sensitive information about IBM’s diversity and hiring strategies and tech and innovations.
- What IBM wants: IBM wants to enforce the non-competition agreement for the year and recover equity compensation forfeited by her alleged contractual violation.
- McIntyre’s side: In a motion filed today, McIntyre says IBM has no evidence she has or will misappropriate any IBM information and that the company is covered by an ongoing NDA. She also says she informed IBM of the Microsoft job offer in January, which was when she was terminated.
- A judge has temporarily halted McIntyre’s move to Microsoft until the mess is sorted out.
- Microsoft’s side: “We have no interest in any of IBM’s confidential information.”
- IBM shares are down 0.5%.
- Now read: IBM: The End Of A Long Nightmare
Original article