Stryker, Synthes, Inc. Settle Suit Over Poaching Employees

Stryker and Synthes reach a deal to settle a Synthes lawsuit accusing Stryker of poaching a trio of sales reps. Synthes, the orthopedic surgery specialists Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) paid $21.3 billion for in April, and rival Stryker (NYSE:SYK) agreed to settle a lawsuit accusing Stryker and 3 of its former sales representatives of violating their non-disclosure pacts and stealing trade secrets. Synthes USA Sales LLC sued Stryker, Michael Russell, Jonathan Sassani and Kristen Phillips-Cheng in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania, charging the former sales reps with breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and breaking the Pennsylvania Uniform Trade Secrets Act.