Pfizer sues departing employee it says stole COVID-19 vaccine secrets

Xencor

24/11/2021 21:18

By Jonathan Stempel
    Nov 24 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc  PFE.N  has sued a longtime
employee for allegedly stealing "scores" of confidential
documents, including some related to its COVID-19 vaccine, as
she prepared to jump to a competitor.
    In a complaint filed on Tuesday in San Diego federal court,
Pfizer said Chun Xiao Li breached her confidentiality agreement
by uploading more than 12,000 files without permission to her
personal accounts and devices from her company-issued laptop.
    The alleged materials include a Sept. 24 "playbook"
containing internal assessments and recommendations about the
Pfizer/BioNTech  22UAy.DE  BNTX.O  COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer's
relationship with its German vaccine partner, and presentations
related to cancer antibodies.
    Pfizer said Li, an associate director of statistics, tried
repeatedly to cover her tracks, even providing a "decoy" laptop
to fool it into thinking what she did with the files.
    Li "has misled Pfizer about what she took, how she took it,
when and why she did it, and where those files (and possibly
others) can be found," the New York-based drugmaker said.
    Pfizer said Li is resigning after 15 years at the company,
and appears to have an offer to join Xencor Inc  XNCR.O , a
California clinical-stage company focusing on treatments for
cancer and autoimmune diseases, on Nov. 29.
    Li could not immediately be reached for comment through her
LinkedIn account. Xencor is not a defendant in the lawsuit, and
declined to comment.
    Pfizer said competitors have been trying to recruit its
employees "relentlessly, especially during 2021."
    In an order late on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann
Bencivengo temporarily blocked Li from using Pfizer's trade
secrets, and said the company's lawyers can review accounts and
devices where she might have stored them.
    The judge scheduled a Dec. 9 hearing to consider a longer
injunction.

 (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional
reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston;
Editing by Leslie Adler)
 ((jon.stempel@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646 223 6317; Reuters
Messaging: jon.stempel.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))