Local advertising agency takes ethical stance, wins judgment against former employee

(Glen Ellen, California – June 23, 2017) – The Honorable Allan D. Hardcastle, Superior Court of California awarded a judgment and damages in favor of A. Bright Idea Advertising and Public Relations this week against former employee David B. Wells, who had worked out of the ad agency’s Glen Ellen office for two years and Maryland headquarters since 2008.

For over 20 years, A. Bright Idea has served the creative needs of its clients with a diverse team of professionals, who live and work by the core values of honesty, integrity and loyalty. The agency upholds standards based on a commitment to honoring a professional code of conduct and ethics as set forth by the Public Relations Society of America. In honor of this commitment, A. Bright Idea took a legal stance against a former employee who broke this code of ethics to the detriment of the agency.

The original complaint filed by A. Bright Idea in March 2016 alleged that Wells breached his fiduciary duty with the agency after taking a position as the director of marketing with Corner 103, a tasting room in the Sonoma Plaza operated by Lloyd Davis. The suit also alleged that Wells intentionally interfered with the daily business operations at the agency after redirecting prospective clients to his own start-up business, all while still employed by A. Bright Idea.

The plaintiffs, A. Bright Idea and their legal team of Jarin and Dan Beck, Beck Law of Santa Rosa, and the defendant, David B. Wells, represented by Vincent Spohn and Rachel E. Hundley, presented closing arguments on February 23.

Judge Hardcastle stated in his decision that “the court found it compelling that the Defendant (Wells) hid his employment with Corner 103 and actually lied to Plaintiff (agency CEO & Founder, Anita Brightman) about when and he might leave A. Bright Idea. Based on the evidence presented, it appears that Defendant (Wells) did work for others when he should have been putting the interests of the Plaintiff (A. Bright Idea) first.”

“While we can’t undo the breach of loyalty and financial losses left by this former employee, we can uphold our values in honor of our employees and clients,” said T.J. Brightman, president of A. Bright Idea. "We place immense trust in our employees to take pride in our agency and represent our team above self interests. With this unfortunate event behind us, we are happy to move forward and continue to do more great work for our Sonoma clients."

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An award-winning advertising and public relations agency with locations in Sonoma, California, and Bel Air, Maryland. A. Bright Idea excels at identifying opportunities, generating ideas and executing customized solutions that deliver results for government, commercial and nonprofit clients. For more information on A. Bright Idea and its services, visit www.abrightideaonline.com or email info@abrightideaonline.com.