Advanced Energy sues former employee over trade secrets

FORT COLLINS and DENVER — Advanced Energy Industries Inc. has filed suit against a former employee and alleged that the former worker, a Fort Collins resident, downloaded trade secrets prior to his termination Oct. 7.

AE sued Yuri P. Trachuk, who the company alleged left employment with at least 2,000 documents that he downloaded to three portable hard drives or sent from AE to his personal email address.

The company is seeking an injunction against Trachuk to prevent his use of the documents and trade secrets, along with damages to be determined at trial.

Trachuk, the lawsuit said, admitted taking the documents but questioned whether any damages occurred. He said he had intended to use the documents to support academic papers that he intended to publish.

AE is a technology company headquartered in Denver with a large manufacturing and research and development facility in Fort Collins. It develops power-conversion, measurement and control technologies for the semiconductor industry as well as for use in telecommunications and other industries.

The company alleged that Trachuk breached a signed confidentiality agreement and his separation agreement for which he was paid, and that he violated federal and state trade-secret laws. It asked the court to force Trachuk to return all company documents and enjoin him from using or disclosing the information. It also sought damages to be determined at trial.

Trachuk could not be reached for comment.

Sterling LeBoeuf, an attorney with Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, which is representing AE, said he was not authorized by his client to comment on the case.

The case is Advanced Energy Industries Inc. v. Yuri Trachuk, number 22cv03235 in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.  

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