Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-01798/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-01798-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TRULITE GLASS AND ALUMINIM 

SOLUTIONS, LLC,

Plaintiff,

v.

GEOFF SMITH, TYRONE YOUNT, 

NATHAN WITKIN, BRYAN McNABB, 

PATRICK J. SHASBY, JR. and 

CALIFORNIA GLASS & MIRROR 

CORP.,

Defendants.

No. 2:16-01798-cv-JAM-CKD

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S 

MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY 

INJUNCTION

This matter came before the Court on Plaintiff Trulite Glass 

and Aluminum Solutions’ (“Trulite”) motion for preliminary 

injunction. ECF No. 29. The Court heard oral argument on 

Trulite’s motion on October 4, 2016. Having considered Trulite’s 

motion and supporting memorandum of law and declarations, as well 

as the arguments of counsel for the parties at the hearing, this 

Court finds that Trulite is likely to succeed on the merits of 

its claims that Defendants Nathan Witkin (“Witkin”) and Bryan 

McNabb (“McNabb”) (collectively, “Defendants”) misappropriated 

trade secrets of Trulite in violation of Cal. Civ. Code § 3426.1 

Case 2:16-cv-01798-JAM-AC Document 64 Filed 10/06/16 Page 1 of 4
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et seq. and 18 U.S.C. § 1836 et seq. Trulite is likely to 

succeed in showing that the information at issue, which consists 

of Trulite’s customer, pricing, financial, and other sensitive 

business data, is the subject of reasonable measures to maintain 

its secrecy and that it derives independent economic value from 

not being known to Trulite’s competitors. Trulite is further 

likely to succeed in showing that Witkin acquired trade secrets 

by improper means by sending confidential information to his 

personal email account, or, in the case of McNabb, to his new 

employer, a competitor of Trulite; and that Witkin and McNabb 

have either used or disclosed the trade secrets or attempted to 

do so in competition with Trulite. The Court further finds that, 

as to Witkin, reasonable forensic procedures are required in 

order to dispossess him of the trade secrets and that a limited 

restraint on McNabb and Witkin’s competitive activities is 

necessary to protect the secrecy of the misappropriated 

information and to eliminate any unfair head start the Defendants 

may have gained. The Court finds that Trulite is likely to 

suffer irreparable harm in the absence of such preliminary 

relief, that the balance of equities tips in favor of granting 

such relief, and that the public interest also favors it. 

Accordingly, the Court GRANTS Trulite’s motion for preliminary 

injunction and hereby ORDERS that Defendants Witkin and McNabb

are ENJOINED as follows:

(1) Within 10 days from the entry of this Order, Defendants 

shall return to Trulite all hard copies of Trulite 

information and documents and derivatives thereof 

(“Trulite Information”) in their possession, custody, 

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or control and will, at their cost, destroy all Trulite 

Information contained on their electronic devices and 

in their e-mail and electronic storage accounts. 

(2) Defendants shall provide Trulite written certification 

that they have returned to Trulite all hard copies of 

Trulite Information in their possession, custody, or 

control and that they have destroyed all Trulite 

Information contained in their electronic devices and 

in their e-mail and electronic storage accounts. 

(3) Defendants are enjoined, for a period of six months 

from the date of this order, from directly or 

indirectly initiating contact with any current customer 

of Trulite with whom Defendants had contact or for 

whose accounts they had responsibility while employed 

by Trulite, for the purpose of encouraging, inviting, 

suggesting, or requesting transfer of their business 

from Trulite to Defendants’ new employer. 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Trulite customer 

initiates contact with either Defendant, that Defendant 

may respond to and accept business from the customer. 

Defendants may continue dealings with former customers 

of Trulite’s with whom Hartung already has an existing 

contract for services. Defendants shall further be 

permitted to engage in marketing efforts directed at 

the glass industry as a whole, such as attending trade 

shows and posting general advertisements. 

//

//

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As to Defendant Witkin only:

(4) An independent computer forensics expert located in 

the Sacramento area selected by and at the direction of 

Trulite's counsel (“Expert”) will (a) assist in 

instructing Witkin to properly identify and destroy 

Trulite Information, any associated metadata, and 

remnants or partial versions of Trulite Information 

residing on Witkin’s devices and email and electronic 

storage accounts; (b) take all steps necessary to 

verify the destruction of Trulite Information from 

Witkin’s devices and accounts; and (c) sequester, 

remove, and destroy any additional Trulite Information 

identified on Witkin’s electronic devices or accounts 

during the verification process. Before conducting the 

verification process, the Expert will sign a 

confidentiality agreement indicating that he or she 

will not share any information unrelated to Trulite 

Information viewed during the verification process. The 

costs of the Expert will be borne solely by Witkin.

It is further ordered that no bond need be posted by Trulite 

in connection with this Order. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 5, 2016

Case 2:16-cv-01798-JAM-AC Document 64 Filed 10/06/16 Page 4 of 4