Question

Mary Jane and Allen Greene, a married couple, own a high-end costume jewelry manufacturing and distribution company called Greene's Jewelry Wholesale, LLC. The principal place of business for Greene's Jewelry is in Derry, New Hampshire, where it owns a warehouse and two storefronts. Originally started in 1957, the company expanded over five decades, and it now employs 502 individuals in a variety of departments, including sales and marketing, research and development, human resources, and manufacturing. The primary asset of Greene's Jewelry is its process for creating a synthetic gold-colored material called "Ever-Gold," which is used in Greene's necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets. Ever-Gold is impervious to scratches, discoloration, oxidization, and is marketed as "everlasting gold." Jennifer Lawson, who has been employed for three years as a junior executive secretary in the research and development department at Greene's Jewelry, has just learned that she is pregnant. She has earned high marks on each of her annual reviews with the company, with the exception of the fact that she routinely shows up 15 to 30 minutes late for work. Otherwise, she is deemed to be professional, articulate, diligent, and skilled in her role with the company. When Lawson advises the head of human resources, Lisa Peele, that she may have to take additional time off as a result of some high-risk factors that she will face during the course of her pregnancy, she is told that her position has been eliminated. The specific words are: "Congratulations Jennifer! That is exciting news for you. We do not need to worry about time off, though, because, regrettably, I was just going to let you know that we are downsizing and no longer have a need for any of our junior executive secretaries." Jennifer is distraught, and immediately returns to her desk to clear it out as instructed. She removes all of her personal items, as well as the projects she was working on prior to her discussion with Lisa Peele. When she returns to her home, she realizes that she has inadvertently taken a draft letter to Greene's patent attorney, which details the secret process for creating Ever-Gold. Although Greene's Jewelry requires all of its executives to sign covenants not to compete and confidentiality agreements, Jennifer was only required to sign a confidentiality agreement, by which she agreed never to disclose any information that she might acquire from Greene's regarding the process used to createin the case of greene jewerlry WHAT IS mary jane and allen greene impact assessment damage

Answer 1

The agreement signed by all employees including that signed by Jennifer is a confidentiality agreement, which is legally binding upon them. It restricts them from disclosing the company's information regarding the process. Jennifer has accidently received the details of the secret process of creating Ever-Gold which is the most important product of the company. However, though she has mistakingly had the details with her and though she is no longer an employee of the company, the confidentiality agreement signed by her is binding upon her and she must return it to the company.

In the above case the impact assessment damage would cost the company as well as it's owners severely. As Greene's is a limited liability corportation, both, Mary Jane and Allen Greene would be personally liable for the damages caused in accordance to their agreement.