New legal precedent set in Trev-2 Grupp’s business secrets case

Trev-2 Grupp, a prominent road construction company in Estonia, has taken legal action against a former long-term employee who, in the final weeks of employment, sent confidential business information to his personal email before joining a major competitor, Verston. Both Trev-2 Grupp and Verston are leading infrastructure companies in Estonia, ranking highest in turnover among road builders last year.

Sven Pertens, CEO of Trev-2 Grupp, stated that the former employee, who held the position of financial controller, had access to sensitive company information. In response to this breach, Trev-2 Grupp made the decision to go to court.

Due to the absence of prior case law on this matter, the case extended over four years, requiring significant perseverance and trust from our client. With the recent district court decision, following the instructions given by the decision of the Supreme Court in the same case, new legal precedent has been set. The court clarified that forwarding documents containing an employer’s business secrets to a personal email, unless explicitly authorized as part of job duties, constitutes a breach of confidentiality. This decision carries significant legal consequences for both employers and employees in similar situations.

The decision is not final, as the defendant disagrees with the district court’s ruling and intends to appeal to the Supreme Court.

COBALT has been representing Trev-2 throughout the entire court proceeding in all three court instances. The team included Managing Associate Kadri Michelson and Associate Dina Tanaga.

Media article in Estonian can be read here.