Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Mark Pierce has ruled that Apple may take its breach-of-contract lawsuit against Gerard Williams III to trial. The judge also dismissed Williams’ claim that Apple had illegally obtained private text messages. However, Judge Pierce rejected Apple’s claim for punitive damages.
The case of Apple Inc. v. Williams III, 19-cv-352866, centers on allegations that the iPhone chip designer founded his new company, Nuvia, while still working for Apple. It accuses Williams of going against the anti-competitive clauses in his contract before leaving the company, and also of then recruiting his former colleagues.
