ACM and Firestone Pacific Foods defend against Nature’s Touch trade secret claims

ACM Management Company LLC and Firestone Pacific Foods Inc., leading companies in the sustainable agriculture sector, became embroiled in a trade secret litigation initiated by Quebec-based frozen fruit supplier Nature’s Touch Inc.

The litigation centers around the alleged misappropriation of Nature’s Touch’s confidential information. According to the plaintiff, this information was disclosed to ACM during due diligence for a potential transaction. Nature’s Touch asserts that ACM’s subsidiary Firestone Pacific Foods Inc. unlawfully obtained and utilized this confidential information to establish a supplier relationship with a prominent US grocery retailer.

Fasken is representing ACM and Firestone Pacific Foods in this complex litigation before the Québec Superior Court. ACM and Firestone challenge the confidentiality of the information and whether measures were taken to protect it. ACM and Firestone furthermore challenge the very chronology alleged by Nature’s Touch and instead argue that the supplier relationship at issue was established well before Nature’s Touch and ACM even came into contact. The trial is set for Fall 2026.

This case underscores the critical importance of protecting trade secrets and the legal complexities involved in cross-border transactions and due diligence processes.