Last week, Landus Cooperative announced they were seeking a temporary restraining order in federal court against NEW Cooperative and two former Landus field sales agronomists who are now NEW Coop employees, Brian David Berns and Jeffrey Ryan Headley. Landus alleges the two conspired to steal confidential information, “trade secrets,” they used to solicit business for NEW Cooperative and then destroyed evidence of the theft of information after the fact. In addition to the restraining order, Landus is seeking actual, punitive and exemplary damages, attorney fees and interest. On Thursday, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa filed an order in favor of the Landus request, granting the temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. The order states the defendants are barred from using the plaintiff’s confidential information and must return all copies of what is alleged to have been taken. In addition, Headley and Berns are barred from soli
Landus Cooperative of Ames has filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of the United States District Court, naming NEW Cooperative and two of their employees in 13 counts. Documents filed with the court ask for a temporary restraining order, actual, punitive and exemplary damages along with attorney fees and interest. Jeffrey Ryan Headley and Brian David Berns were former Landus employees who are accused of the theft and misappropriation of confidential information considered “trade secrets” and then of attempting to cover up this theft by destroying evidence. The suit also states that since the defendants were employed by NEW Cooperative at that time, the cooperative is liable for their actions. The filing says Headley and Berns were field sales agronomists, Berns through the Churdan and Farnhamville Landus locations and Headley through Paton and Somers. Both had access to pricing, inventory and strategy information. When Berns’ employment at Landus was terminated in early De