Contessa Premium Foods Inc has lodged a first amended complaint in Los Angeles (CA) County Superior Court, adding claims against several United States and foreign-based business entities. The entities include Thai Union International Inc; Tri-Union Seafoods LLC dba Chicken of the Sea International; Empress International Ltd; Empress International of California Ltd; Empress International Ltd dba Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods; Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods; Tri-Union Frozen Foods LLC; and Diversified Food Products LLC. These Chicken of the Sea entities are all affiliated with Thai Union Frozen Products Public Co Ltd.
Contessa is a frozen food company that distributes in North America, Europe, and Asia. It is seeking to add claims against the Chicken of the Sea entities to its lawsuit against its former employees Bryan Rosenberg and Brenden Beck.
Gregory J Morrow, Contessa’s vice-president and chief legal officer, said, “Contessa’s first amended complaint alleges that the Chicken of the Sea Entities: (a) aided, abetted, and conspired with Rosenberg and Beck in the misappropriation of Contessa trade secrets; (b) conspired with Rosenberg and Beck to engage in unfair business practices and to commit acts of unfair competition proscribed by California Business & Professions Code Section 17200; (c) aided and abetted Rosenberg and Beck in defrauding Contessa and conspired with Rosenberg and Beck to do so; (d) conspired with Rosenberg and Beck to interfere with and injure existing and prospective business relationships between Contessa and its customers; and (e) were unjustly enriched as a result of the foregoing activities. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief, as well as attorneys’ fees.”
To see the complete first amended complaint, access the web site at http://trade.contessa.com/HTMLDocuments/Chicken20070205.pdf.