Crews & Associates Inc., the Little Rock bond brokerage, has accused one of its former account executives of transferring a client list to his cellphone before resigning in September to join a competitor.
Crews, in a lawsuit filed last week in Pulaski County Circuit Court, accused Tony Henderson, who worked in Crews’ Conway office, of taking the list and violating the Arkansas Trade Secret Act.
The lawsuit charges that Henderson had Crews’ IT department load client information onto his phone on Sept. 17. The next day, Henderson announced his resignation from Crews, where he had been since May 2008.
He went to work at ProEquities Inc.’s office in Conway, which operates under the name Heritage Creek Financial. Henderson lists himself as president of Heritage Creek on his LinkedIn profile.
“My personal goal is to provide you with guidance that can help you understand and better define your financial goals,” Henderson said on Heritage’s website. “I work hard to create a mutually beneficial and respected long-term relationship with my clients and their families.”
Crews said in the lawsuit that the company information Henderson received has been used to contact clients and get them to switch to Henderson’s new employer, which violates a noncompete agreement he signed at Crews.
“Henderson has solicited numerous Crews’ customers since he left Crews,” the lawsuit said.
“We will vigorously defend the litigation,” Henderson’s attorney, Keith Billingsley of Little Rock, told Whispers last week.
A hearing for a preliminary injunction is set for Oct. 29.
