What would you do?

your.advice?

I've a meeting scheduled with my solicitor for late next week, and I'd like to know what recourse others believe would be available in my situation ...

I employed a person for a couple of years before discovering they were stealing money and goods from the company. They were successfully dismissed for gross misconduct but we have never received any of the goods or money back. We were so glad that we had all the employment paperwork in place as well as the necessary procedures, that we left it at that and didn't take the matter to the gardai. Work was a joy with the bad apple gone.

Several months later however, and the issue we now face, is despite signing their employment contract, which included a confidentiality clause, they have taken up employment with a competitor. Although there was never a do not compete clause, the fact that the confidentiality agreement explicity states that our customer lists were protected - this very person is actively targeting our customers, and it would seem the customer list wasn't just committed to memory - but copied from the database!

Anyway, my question is, what options are open to the employer? And ultimately, what really is the worse that could happen the 'defector'?!

I have a great solicitor, and will be taking their advice, but I'd like to have a little preparation done in advance.

Thanks.

your.advice?

Any thoughts folks? Can someone really get away with doing so much damage?!