NetScout Systems, Inc. v. Hohenstein (Lawyers Weekly No. 12-015-17)
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS SUFFOLK, ss. SUPERIOR COURT. 1784CV00373-BLS2 ____________________ NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC. v. CARL HOHENSTEIN ____________________ MEMORANDUM AND ORDER ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION OF ITS REQUEST FOR A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION A week ago the Court decided a motion by NetScout Systems, Inc., for a preliminary injunction that would enforce non-competition and other covenants (the “Agreement”) that Carl Hohenstein entered into when he was employed by Danaher Corporation’s subsidiaries. In support of its motion, NetScout argued and presented evidence that Danaher had assigned to NetScout all of Danaher’s rights under Hohenstein’s non-competition agreement. The Court concluded, based on NetScout’s own evidence, that Hohenstein’s obligations under the disputed provisions of his non-competition agreement expired on July 14, 2016, one year after Hohenstein’s employment with any Danaher subsidiary ended. The Court therefore denied NetScout’s motion to the extent that it sought to enforce the non-competition and non-solicitation covenants, but allowed the other relief sought without any opposition by Hohenstein.1 1. Reconsideration. NetScout seeks reconsideration with respect to enforcement of the non-competition and non-solicitation covenants based on a new legal theory as to why it is entitled to enforce the Agreement. When it first sought a preliminary injunction, NetScout filed an affidavit by its Director of Human Resources to explain why NetScout was entitled to enforce Danaher’s rights under the Agreement. She stated that Hohenstein had been employed by a Danaher subsidiary called Fluke Networks and that “[o]n July 14, 2015, NetScout acquired Danaher’s communications business, which included Fluke 1 At oral argument, Hohenstein said he did not contest the issuance of an injunction that would bar him from using or disclosing any NetScout proprietary information, helping to develop products or services that would compete with NetScout’s offerings, helping to hire away NetScout’s employees or contractors, or interfering in any relationship with NetScout’s vendors. – 2 – Networks.” The HR Director did not say that Fluke Networks, Inc., had been merged into NetScout or a subsidiary of NetScout. If that had happened, then of course Hohenstein would still be employed by the same company as before the NetScout/Danaher transaction, and NetScout would be entitled to enforce the Agreement as the legal successor to Fluke Networks. But that is not what NetScout contended. Instead, its HR Director swore that as part of the NetScout/Danaher transaction Hohenstein became a NetScout employee and “Danaher’s rights under the Agreement were assigned to NetScout.” This characterization of the transaction between Danaher and NetScout suggested that NetScout was acquiring selected assets and liabilities of Danaher. As NetScout now recognizes, if whatever Danaher subsidiary that employed Hohenstein had been merged into NetScout or one of its subsidiaries, there would have been no need for Danaher to assign to NetScout its […]
NetScout Systems, Inc. v. Hohenstein (Lawyers Weekly No. 12-014-17)
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS SUFFOLK, ss. SUPERIOR COURT. 1784CV00373-BLS2 ____________________ NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC. v. CARL HOHENSTEIN ____________________ MEMORANDUM AND ORDER ON PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION NetScout Systems, Inc., seeks a preliminary injunction that would enforce non-competition and other covenants agreed to by Carl Hohenstein when he was employed by Danaher Corporation’s subsidiaries. When NetScout acquired Danaher’s communications business, Hohenstein became a NetScout employee and Danaher assigned its rights under the contract with Hohenstein to NetScout. Eighteen months later, Hohenstein left NetScout to work for a competitor. Hohenstein agrees he was bound by NetScout’s code of business conduct, including its restrictions on the use or disclosure of NetScout’s proprietary information. At oral argument, Hohenstein said he does not contest the issuance of an injunction that would bar him from using or disclosing any NetScout proprietary information, helping to develop products or services that would compete with NetScout’s offerings, helping to hire away NetScout’s employees or contractors, or interfering in any relationship with NetScout’s vendors. But Hohenstein contends that NetScout is not entitled to an injunction that would bar Hohenstein from selling or trying to sell products or services that compete with NetScout. The Court concludes that, although NetScout is entitled to enforce the non-competition agreement assigned to it by Danaher, that contract does not bar Hohenstein from selling or trying to sell products or services that compete with those of NetScout. In any case, the contract provisions that barred Hohenstein from selling products and services that compete with those of Danaher and its subsidiaries lapsed in July 2016, twelve months after Hohenstein’s employment with Danaher subsidiaries came to an end. The Court will therefore deny NetScout’s motion to the extent it seeks to bar Hohenstein from selling products that compete with NetScout’s offerings (covered in paragraphs 2 and 3 of the form of order proposed by NetScout). – 2 – It will allow the motion only to the extent it seeks to protect NetScout’s proprietary information and to obtain other relief that is not opposed by Hohenstein (covered in paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the proposed order, which the Court will renumber as paragraphs 1 through 5). 1. Findings of Fact. The Court makes the following findings of fact based on the affidavits submitted by NetScout and Mr. Hohenstein. Hohenstein worked for subsidiaries of Danaher Corporation from January 2001 through July 2015. Throughout this time he was employed at-will, with no fixed contract term. Hohenstein worked for Fluke Networks, Inc., as a sales engineer from September 2004 to April 2014, and as a senior systems engineer through April 2015. He then worked for AirMagnet, Inc. (an affiliated company, also owned by Danaher) as senior systems engineer. In […]