Astro-Med wins suit, nearly $1M in damages

WEST WARWICK – A former Astro-Med worker and his current employer must pay more than $1 million in damages and legal fees for violating his noncompete agreement with the high-tech manufacturer, a federal judge has ordered.
After a four-day trial last April, a jury found that the ex-employee, Kevin Plant, and his current employer, Nihon Kohden America, were liable for violating the agreement and willfully and maliciously misappropriating Astro-Med’s trade secrets. The jury ordered that Plant and Nihon Kohden pay $375,800 in compensatory damages to Astro-Med.
U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi went on to award Astro-Med an additional $560,000 in punitive damages against Plant and Nihon Kohden, and said the two must also pay for the company’s attorneys’ fees and costs. &#8226