Pollster Ipsos Reid Corp. is suing former senior vice-president Catherine Dawson and her new company, Insights West Marketing Research Inc., over her departure from Ipsos to compete with the company.
Ipsos alleges in its notice of civil claim, filed February 26, that in April 2011, when Dawson was promoted to the position of senior vice-president, she signed an agreement that bound her to an obligation of confidentiality and non-disclosure.
Part of that contract was a restrictive covenant that allegedly stated that “for a period of one year after the date of termination of your employment with Ipsos for any reason whatsoever, you will not directly or indirectly work for or with, own, invest in, render any service or advice to or act as officer, director, employee or independent contractor, for any purpose or entity that competes with Ipsos in the products or services that it offers to clients.”
Dawson acknowledged in her March 19 response to civil claim that she indeed did sign the agreement.
She also notes, however, that in April 2011, she notified Ipsos that the covenant not to compete proposed by Ipsos was unfair and not accepted by her.
Ipsos then sent her a form of agreement purported to have been revised at her request to provide for payment to her in the event that she resigned and was required not to compete, Dawson alleges.
Dawson also claims that she had “limited authority” in her position and that she had “little or no control over costs and did not have profit and loss responsibility.”
She claims that she had no legal advice when she signed the contract and signed it only because “she was forced to by Ipsos.”
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
