Huntington sues Home Savings, employees

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Huntington Bank filed suit against Home Savings and three of its employees, claiming unfair business practice.

Columbus-based Huntington filed the lawsuit this week in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District Ohio Eastern Division.

“As always, Home Savings is committed to complying with the law and any contractual obligations its employees may have to their former employers and disputes that it engaged in any unfair competition against Huntington,” Home Savings spokeswoman Kathy Bushway said in a statement.

Huntington contends three of its former employees now employed by Home Savings used confidential and proprietary information of Huntington to help themselves and Youngstown-based Home Savings to secure business from Huntington customers, which violates the Defend Trade Secrets Act, Huntington says in its filing.

One of the business bankers, Huntington says, breached the bank’s contract by soliciting other Huntington employees to work for Home Savings. The other two bankers hired by Home Savings are accused of aiding and abetting the banker.

Huntington Bank also contends its former employees breached the fiduciary duty owed to Huntington and interfered with the bank’s business relationships.

“Defendants are intentionally interfering with such contracts and/or current and prospective business relationships by soliciting or attempting to solicit or otherwise convert Huntington’s customers to their own,” the filing says.

Huntington believes the employees “intentionally and knowingly” conspired to violate their agreement with the bank, misappropriate trade secrets and to cause Huntington harm. Home Savings furthered the conspiracy, the filing says.

Huntington seeks compensatory damages of more than $100,000 and punitive damages in excess of $500,000 among other requests made to the court.