Groupon has sued two former sales managers who are said company trade secrets competition from Google when they leave the site daily deals, according to a Bloomberg report.
Michael Nolan and Brian Hanna left the Chicago-based company last month in January to join Google offers, taking customer lists and marketing strategies with them, according to a lawsuit filed today in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. The lawsuit, which does not name Google as a defendant, seeks to prevent information sharing with Google, according to the report.
"In his new position in Google offerings and / or Google, Hanna and Nolan provide the same or similar services, as they provide Groupon," requiring them "to use confidential and proprietary information he learned while working at Groupon," according the complaint, copies of which have not yet been made available on the Internet.
Google offers was announced one month after Groupon reportedly rejected the company $ 6 billion offer to buy in December 2010. The search giant has launched a beta version of its service and offers discount coupons in Portland, Oregon, in April.
Groupon, expected to go public in September, has been the subject of increased regulatory scrutiny lately. The Securities and Exchange Commission forced the daily deals provider to check your presentation documents after finding that the company mistakenly reported higher revenues than it should.
The errors and market volatility have forced the company to reduce its IPO plans. Groupon is expected to offer less than 10 percent of the company at a valuation of $ 12.5 million. This is in contrast to the $ 20 billion to $ 25 billion that many thought the company was worth in presenting its IPO papers in June.
Michael Nolan and Brian Hanna left the Chicago-based company last month in January to join Google offers, taking customer lists and marketing strategies with them, according to a lawsuit filed today in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. The lawsuit, which does not name Google as a defendant, seeks to prevent information sharing with Google, according to the report."In his new position in Google offerings and / or Google, Hanna and Nolan provide the same or similar services, as they provide Groupon," requiring them "to use confidential and proprietary information he learned while working at Groupon," according the complaint, copies of which have not yet been made available on the Internet.
Google offers was announced one month after Groupon reportedly rejected the company $ 6 billion offer to buy in December 2010. The search giant has launched a beta version of its service and offers discount coupons in Portland, Oregon, in April.
Groupon, expected to go public in September, has been the subject of increased regulatory scrutiny lately. The Securities and Exchange Commission forced the daily deals provider to check your presentation documents after finding that the company mistakenly reported higher revenues than it should.
The errors and market volatility have forced the company to reduce its IPO plans. Groupon is expected to offer less than 10 percent of the company at a valuation of $ 12.5 million. This is in contrast to the $ 20 billion to $ 25 billion that many thought the company was worth in presenting its IPO papers in June.
