Air MobilityJoby Aviation sues Archer over alleged misuse of confidential data in partnership deal
Joby Aviation filed a lawsuit against Archer Aviation on November 15 in a Santa Cruz, California court, alleging Archer gained advantage in a partnership negotiation by using information stolen by a former Joby executive.
The suit claims George Kivork, previously Joby’s head of state and local policy, downloaded confidential files and sent them to his personal email before joining Archer. Joby alleges these materials supported Archer in securing a more favorable business arrangement.
Archer described the lawsuit as ‘unfounded litigation,’ stating it maintains ‘rigorous employee onboarding procedures.’ A court hearing in the case is set for March 20.
Kivork’s employment history includes senior policy roles at Lyft and service as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Commerce. The complaint does not specify the partner involved or detail the contents of the information allegedly misused.
Joby recently completed its first hybrid aircraft test flight with L3Harris. The company’s stock has more than doubled in the past year; Archer’s shares rose about 36% in the same period.
"George did not bring any information to Archer"
In a statement sent to Air Data News, Archer denied Joby's claims, stating that they conducted an investigation and found no proof that George Kivork brought any information to the company.
"Joby alleges we used their trade secrets to win a 'deal' with a developer but the reality is that Archer has no deal with this developer and Mr. Kivork did not bring any Joby confidential information to Archer,” said Eric Lentell, Archer’s Chief Legal & Strategy Officer.
Joby knows these facts and is now improperly attempting to achieve through bad faith litigation what it cannot accomplish through fair competition. Archer remains focused on building the future of advanced aviation in America."
The company also stated that "George did not bring any information to Archer. Our team ran forensics during the hiring process as we always do and found nothing. Joby knows this as we clearly communicated it to them."
About the Author
