PARRISH V. FLIR SYSTEMS, INC

Case Synopsis:

Attorney Brian Panish along with co-counsel obtained a $39 million settlement for clients William Parrish and E. Timothy Fitzgibbons in a case against FLIR Systems, Inc. for malicious prosecution and intentional interference with prospective economic relations.  When Mr. Parrish and Mr. Fitzgibbons left their employment at FLIR to start their own business, FLIR sued them for misappropriating trade secrets. The lawsuit destroyed the men’s new business.  A Santa Barbara County trial court ruled against FLIR in the underlying misappropriation case and found that the action by FLIR was brought in bad faith – a decision that was upheld on appeal.  Mr. Parrish and Mr. Fitzgibbons then sued FLIR alleging it had filed its misappropriation action for an anti-competitive purpose and that the lawsuit ruined their new company.  The resulting $39 million settlement paid by FLIR is the largest malicious prosecution settlement in California history.