International Business Machines Corp’s (IBM.N) insistence in a new lawsuit that its efforts to recruit and maintain a diverse workforce are trade secrets bucks a trend towards transparency and highlights how companies can see the issue in competitive terms, business and legal experts said.
Armonk, New York-based IBM on Monday sued its former chief diversity officer, Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, who left for a similar job at Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O). The lawsuit alleges McIntyre violated a one-year non-competition agreement and could disclose IBM’s diversity data and hiring plans.
