IBM Sues Former Executive Hired by Microsoft

International Business Machines Corp sued its former executive Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, who was named Microsoft Corp’s new chief diversity officer over the weekend, alleging violation of a one-year non-competitive agreement. McIntyre, who “abruptly resigned to compete against IBM,” was in possession of highly confidential and sensitive information about IBM’s diversity strategies, hiring targets, technologies and innovations, IBM said in the lawsuit filed in a New York federal court on Monday, Reuters reported. Judge Vincent Briccetti temporarily barred McIntyre from moving to Microsoft. IBM complained that McIntyre using and disclosing, whether intentionally or not, its confidential and sensitive information would place the company at a competitive disadvantage. IBM said it sought to enforce McIntyre’s non-competition agreement for the 12-month period and recover from her the equity compensation she has forfeited by “violating her contractual duties” to IBM.