Eagle Systems, Inc. v. Black

MEMORANDUM *

Oregon applies the Restatement (Second) of Agency § 393 to claims involving a breach of the duty of loyalty an employee owes her employer. See W. Med. Consultants v. Johnson, 80 F.3d 1331 , 1336 n. 6 (9th Cir.1996). “Unless otherwise agreed, an agent is subject to a duty not to compete with the principal concerning the subject matter of his agency.” Restatement (Second) of Agency § 393.

The district court found that former employee Diana Black (“Black”) breached her duty of loyalty to Eagle Systems by: (1) soliciting the owner-operator drivers and other Eagle employees to switch to E.T. Schmid; (2) soliciting intermodal shipping companies, shippers, and consignees to switch to E.T. Schmid; and (3) actually dispatching for E.T. Schmid during the last week that she was on Eagle’s payroll. These findings were not clearly erroneous. See W. Med. Consultants, 80 F.3d at 1334 .

Nor did the district court clearly err in holding E.T. Schmid Trucking liable for its knowing participation in Black’s actions. See Restatement (Second) of Agency § 312 (“A person who, without being privileged to do so, intentionally causes or assists an agent to violate a duty to his principal is…