When representatives of one company leave for another company, there are many potential legal issues that affect the lives of many.
This excerpt from the Idaho Business Review (that originated with the Associated Press) was published yesterday and will undoubtedly affect many in both Melaleuca and Max to at least some degree:
BOISE – Idaho health and home products company Melaleuca Inc. accuses a Utah company of raiding some of its top sales staff, infringing on company trade secrets and competing unfairly.
Idaho Falls-based Melaleuca filed a lawsuit in federal court Nov. 16 against Max International, its top sales executive and dozens of former Melaleuca sales executives.
The complaint seeks more than $10 million in damages and asks a judge to issue an injunction that would stop future sales staff raids. The lawsuit also seeks to cancel a meeting scheduled for Nov. 21 that’s described as another attempt by Max International to lure away top Melaleuca sales talent and their customer data …
The lawsuit accuses Max of attracting at least eight of Melaleuca’s best sales staff in the last year and encouraging each to recruit Melaleuca customers, sales staff and others …
The lawsuit accuses Max of luring Melaleuca sales staff with lucrative payments and using information from those Melaleuca business reports, causing former Melaleuca employees to violate noncompete agreements that are designed to prevent workers from using inside knowledge to benefit a direct competitor.
The lawsuit accuses Max of attracting at least eight of Melaleuca’s best sales staff in the last year and encouraging each to recruit Melaleuca customers, sales staff and others.
Melaleuca is asking for a jury trial and for a judge to issue a restraining order barring Max from recruiting more Melaleuca sales staff. It also seeks a restraining order on a sales presentation planned by Max on Nov. 21 in Atlanta because it “promises to be another unlawful raid of Melaleuca marketing executives.”
Erin Edmonds, Vice President Legal Affairs for Max International, could not be immediately reached for comment.
It’s interesting that the article, in more than one incidence calls the eight former, highly successful distributors for Melaleuca “sales staff.” That makes it sound like they were employees. They were, in fact, independent contractors as all distributors associated with network marketing companies are. Whether used intentionally or because the reporter simply doesn’t understand the industry, it is misleading.
Also, see overview pages for Melaleuca and Max International.
Related posts:
- Max International hit with patent infringement lawsuit
- Melaleuca wins two victories in Idaho courts
- Melaleuca Facts, News and Review
- Melaleuca dumps $10.4 million of old vitamins
- Max International; MaxGXL; MLM company Facts, News and Reviews
- Idaho-based company Melaleuca to bring more jobs to Knox
- Max International Announces Prime Time TV Show – MaxGXL TV
- Melaleuca Breaks Ground for New Plant
- Max International Acquires CellGevity Technology and Assets
- Melaleuca claims pesticide giant infringes on its eco-friendly trademark
- Melaluca up $28-million in sales
- Past recipients of the DSA Education for Life Award
- EXCLUSIVE: Melaleuca Scientists Make “Revolutionary” Breakthrough; New Product Unveiled
- Melaleuca promises job security, gives $1.7M to employees
- Stoel Rives Idaho Innovation Award finalists announced
- Max Int. Announces Partnership With Guthy-Renker’s Principals Owners
- If You Believe
- Frank L. VanderSloot President & CEO of Melaleuca, Inc.
- Melaleuca Wins Award for Environmental Excellence
- Resist Integrity Erosion
- Melaleuca Employment Overview
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey thank you for this great insight.
Max International has pulled lots of leaders with the so called “info commercials”.. Its been 3years now and I have yet to see one.
Maybe the HBO special for 1 hour on a sunday late night.
Great info.
Matias,
We are on DirecTV every Monday night, and have been airing since late September. These are not infomercials, but actual TV programming. Feel free to look over segments – http://www.max.com/maxgxltv
With one of our Co-Founders, Steven K. Scott (who founded Ameri-Telecast) and investor partners of Bill Guthy and Greg Renker, of course TV programming is now a part of our company.
Hope this clarifies any confusion you may have regarding Max International and TV programming.
~Charlene Ragsdale, Max Associate (Las Vegas, NV)