ACV says a former sales leader used confidential data to launch a rival and win business
A former sales executive is at the center of a federal lawsuit after allegedly taking trade secrets and customers to launch a competing business in South Carolina’s environmental services sector.
ACV Environmental Services, Inc., a New York corporation with headquarters in New Jersey and operations in Lexington, South Carolina, filed suit on November 10, 2025, against Michael Stuart and his newly formed company, Stuart Solutions LLC. The company alleges Stuart, who was promoted to Territory Sales Executive in July 2023, used his access to confidential customer lists, pricing, and business strategies to benefit his own startup.
According to court filings, Stuart began working for ACV on March 16, 2022, and was responsible for developing new sales and maintaining customer relationships in South Carolina. ACV states he was entrusted with sensitive information about customers, vendors, and the company’s approach to business in the competitive industrial cleanup and hazardous waste market.
The filings allege that Stuart formed Stuart Solutions LLC in January 2025, while still employed by ACV, and began competing against ACV before his resignation on April 16, 2025. ACV claims it lost an account worth approximately $11,000 a month after Stuart’s new company began servicing the customer. The company also points to a high six-figure project that moved from ACV to Stuart Solutions after Stuart’...
Rap star Nicki Minaj made an appearance at the US mission to the United Nations to echo President Donald Trump’s false claim that Christians are being systematically killed in Nigeria. Minaj appea...