Deloitte Escapes Trade Secrets Suit Over Energy Investment Model

Deloitte LLP and Bank of New York Mellon Corp. will escape claims they misappropriated a consultant’s model for evaluating proposed energy sector investments, because he failed to show the model was a trade secret, a federal court in New York said.

Andre Pauwels was working as a consultant for BNY Mellon when it misappropriated his proprietary model and shared it with Deloitte so that company could replace Pauwels’ services, he alleged. BNY Mellon allegedly fired Pauwels when he confronted the company about it. Pauwels brought claims for misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, and unjust enrichment.

The ...