Photo galleries settle lawsuit over trade secrets

By Steve Green (contact)

Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit over trade secrets at high-end photo galleries operating in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas-based Peter Lik USA Inc. filed suit in Clark County District Court in August against The Lough Road Inc. of Happy Valley, Ore., and Lough Road’s national sales director, Robert Scottland.

Peter Lik USA has galleries in Las Vegas and elsewhere around the country and in Peter Lik’s native Australia. These showcase the works of Lik, a landscape photographer.

Peter Lik USA charged in the lawsuit that Scottland, a former Peter Lik employee, had violated his noncompete agreement by soliciting the business of Peter Lik customers on behalf of The Lough Road.

The Lough Road has four galleries around the country and is preparing to open its first Las Vegas location, at MGM Mirage’s CityCenter complex, in December.

The Lough Road, which sells the works of landscape and wilderness photographer Rodney Lough Jr., had denied allegations in the lawsuit that Scottland had violated the noncompete agreement.

Court records show the suit was settled and dismissed last month, with Scottland’s noncompete agreement modified to allow him to continue working for The Lough Road and further amended to specify which customers Scottland could solicit.