Avnet, Inc. v. WYLE LABORATORIES, INC.

Hunstein, Justice.

Shortly after the April 1993 merger of Avnet, Inc. and Hall-Mark Electronics Corporation, numerous east coast Hall-Mark employees began accepting positions with Avnet’s competitor, Wyle Laboratories. In May 1993 Avnet and Hall-Mark (hereinafter “Avnet”) brought suit in Georgia against Wyle and Georgia resident James Haraway, a former Hall-Mark vice-president who had been hired by Wyle, asserting causes of action for, inter alia, malicious interference with employment relationship, unfair competition, and breach of fiduciary duty. Wyle and Haraway answered and filed a…