Court Grants Z-Line Preliminary Injunction Against Top Executives of Bush

Furniture World Magazine

Z-Line Designs, Inc. announced that the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia granted Z-Line’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction in its recently filed lawsuit against Lewis Aronson and John Cooper, who are both top executives of Bush Industries, Inc. Z-Line’s suit stems from a settlement agreement that Z-line, Bush and Cooper executed in March of this year that resolved an earlier dispute between Z-Line and Bush over whether Bush’s hiring of Cooper violated Cooper’s employment agreement and non-compete with Z-Line. The ruling requires Aronson and Cooper, as well as Bush, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year, and its other employees and agents, to: 1) refrain from making certain communications that would breach the settlement agreement and; 2) refrain from destroying or erasing any documents (electronic or otherwise) in their custody or control which relate to any contact or communication by Aronson, Cooper, or Bush that would have breached the settlement agreement in order that they be preserved for future discovery. The Court also ordered expedited electronic discovery, which will allow Z-Line’s computer expert to examine the computers of Aronson and Cooper for evidence of communications that were prohibited by the Settlement Agreement. Z-Line was represented in court by John North, Ann Fort and Mark Henderson, attorneys at the law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan. Based in Danville, California, Z-Line Designs, Inc., is a designer and manufacturer of ready to assemble (RTA) home office and entertainment furniture. The quality of Z-Line’s products and designs has been recognized through the grant of an unprecedented number of industry awards, including both the 2002 and 2003 ADEX Award for Design Excellence and Value and Staples’ 2003 “Vendor of the Year” award. In conjunction with Denis Publishing, Z-Line designs and manufactures the Maxim Collection, a line of Maxim magazine branded RTA home entertainment furniture. Z-Line products can be found in major retailers such as Staples, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, and Linens & Things.