A Valhalla notary business claims that a former employee stole its trade secrets to set up a competing business.
Looking Glass Runners accused Ariel Murchison, Cedar Hill, Texas, and Signed by Ariel LLC, Desoto, Texas, of violating the federal Trade Secrets Act, in a complaint filed on Sept. 9 in U.S. District Court, White Plains.
Looking Glass is demanding that Murchison and her company disgorge “all profits, revenues, and other benefits obtained … from the use of plaintiff’s trade secrets and confidential information.”
Looking Glass is operated by Farva Scott, a tax attorney who used to practice in Armonk and is now based in an office building on Columbus Avenue, Valhalla.
The firm hired Murchison this past February, according to the complaint, and gave her access to customer lists, rate sheets, customer interaction scripts, marketing information, legal forms, and growth strategies.
Murchison agreed to use the proprietary information only for her duties, the complaint states, and to return or destroy all confidential information once she no longer worked for Looking Glass.
But when Murchison met with dozens of Looking Glass clients, she allegedly told them to meet her “on the side” at a competing online notary business or on her personal website.
Then Murchison abruptly resigned. On the same day, Looking Glass says, it discovered that Murchison had launched her own notary business, Signed by Ariel LLC.
Looking Glass is accusing Murchison of misappropriating trade secrets, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment. It is asking the court to stop Murchison and Signed by Ariel from using its confidential information, soliciting its clients or operating a competing business derived from its trade secrets. It is demanding unspecified monetary damages for alleged willful and malicious conduct.
Signed by Ariel’s website is currently inoperable, and attempts to find Murchison’s contact information, to ask for her side of the story, were unsuccessful.
