September 14, 2018 — Tampa Bay Fisheries, the Florida seafood company that Gloucester-based National Fish & Seafood accuses of stealing trade secrets, has come out swinging in its first response to the charges.
In a document filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, Tampa Bay Fisheries characterized the civil lawsuit filed by NFS as “a fish tale about the one that got away” and claimed it never obtained any of the Gloucester seafood processor’s secrets.
The document was filed in opposition to NFS’ motion for a preliminary injunction. It highlighted financial problems at NFS parent company Pacific Andes International Holdings — which is in the midst of an extraordinarily complex bankruptcy proceeding — and the criminal convictions of three top NFS executives or board members during the past two years.
“This is not a case about Tampa Bay seeking any information whatsoever from NFS,” Tampa Bay’s lawyers argued in their filing. “This is a case about NFS, a bankrupt company run by investors and still reeling from its top executives’ criminal convictions, seeking a pretext to undermine Tampa Bay’s legitimate success. The evidence is clear — there is no scheme and no grand conspiracy.”
U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin has yet to rule on NFS’ motion for the preliminary injunction.