Apple’s ongoing breach of contract legal fight with former Apple chip designer Gerard Williams III continues. Williams says Apple’s lawsuit against him for breach of contract aims to “suffocate the creation of new technologies and solutions by a new business and to diminish the freedom of entrepreneurs to seek out more fulfilling work.”
Williams was Apple’s lead chip designer, working on the A7 to A12X chips that Apple used in its mobile devices. He worked at Apple until February 2019 when he left to start up a new company called Nuvia with other Apple developers. His new company develops processors for use in data centers.
Apple sued Williams in August 2019, claiming his employment contracts with Apple prevented him from engaging in business activities that are directly related to Apple’s businesses. Williams’ position is that California law allows workers to develop new businesses, even as they’re employed by another company.
Williams claims Apple invaded his privacy by monitoring his texts. For Apple’s part, they say Williams had been developing Nuvia while still employed by Apple, and that he also attempted to lure Apple employees to his new company.
In January, Williams unsuccessfully attempted to get Apple’s lawsuit thrown out by the court, but he was unsuccessful. Now Williams claims Apple has been recruiting Nuvia engineers.
Bloomberg reports Williams says that Apple is aiming to lure his staff away and is also preventing its own employees from leaving to pursue their own ventures.
Williams also claims Apple’s breach of contract lawsuit against him aims to “suffocate the creation of new technologies and solutions by a new business and to diminish the freedom of entrepreneurs to seek out more fulfilling work.”
Williams claims Apple is improperly deterring employees “from making even preliminary and legally protected preparations to form a new business – whether competitive or otherwise.”
A judge has already dismissed Apple’s bid for punitive damages, saying the company failed to show how Williams intentionally tried to harm Apple by being disloyal.
