IBM sued its former mergers-and-acquisitions chief David Johnson to prevent him from working for Dell Inc, saying his new job violates an agreement restricting his employment with rivals.
Edward Barbini, an IBM spokesman said, "Johnson has possession of valuable confidential information and cannot undertake a senior strategy position at Dell without violating his obligations to IBM.” “Mr Johnson repeatedly received significant compensation in exchange for agreeing to non-compete provisions.”
Johnson, a 27-year IBM veteran, spent the past nine years in an “active role” overseeing mergers and acquisitions and reviewing other strategic deals, according to the lawsuit filed on May 21. Dell, the world’s second-largest market of personal computers, said it has offered Johnson a position but declined to say what his role or title would be.