EDWARDSVILLE – An Illinois real estate firm has filed a lawsuit against a former employee for allegedly stealing trade secrets and redirecting business to its competitors.
Tammy Mitchell Hines & Co. filed the lawsuit in Madison County Circuit Court against Logan S. Goff, Kimberly M. Benda, and Epic Realty, LLC, citing allegations of civil conspiracy, breach of contract, common law fraud, conversion, false-light invasion of privacy, tortious interference with contract, and trade secret misappropriation.
According to court documents, defendant Goff was hired to work as a real estate broker for Tammy Mitchell Hines & Co. (TMH) on June 12, 2021.
The plaintiff asserts that disputes began to arise between TMH and Goff. The suit states that between June 2022 and October 2022, Goff allegedly downloaded and stole TMH's database of customers, hundreds of active leads, and other trade secrets owned by TMH and provided the information to defendants Benda and Epic Realty. During this time, Goff also allegedly contacted TMH customers and clients for the purpose of directing their business to Benda and Epic Realty and conducted other activities to damage TMH's name, brand and reputation
TMH is seeking a judgment in this case for damages in excess of $50,000, plus interest, court costs, attorney fees, and any other relief the court deems proper. They are represented by attorney Michelle M. Weidman of Weidman Law, Ltd. in Waterloo.
Madison County Circuit Court Case Number 2023LA001459