I have a business where I work for about 20 car dealers removing dents from cars. I don't have any contracts with the dealers. I just have a history of working there and at some of them I had been there for almost 20 years. My problem is this: I had a subcontractor working for me for about 5 years to handle half of the business. He was a close friend of mine so never had him sign a non-compete. I fully trusted him as my friend. For the 5 years he worked for me, he submitted all the bills in my business name which is Got Dents? Inc. He referred himself as Paul from Got Dents and even had that on his voicemail when people called. All the checks from the dealers came to Got Dents? Inc. from the work he did for the 5 years. I then would figure out his percentage and then cut him a check with a Got Dents? Inc check that he would cash. Even though I paid him as a subcontractor and he did his own taxes, 95% of his money came from my company Got Dents? Just in the last 2 weeks, he has decided to "go out on his own" and what that means is to steal all the dealer contacts that he worked and that were established by Got Dents?. He is doing this by spreading lies about me. That I lied to him and that I was unfair to him and that he was left no other choice. He is stealing my business by slandering my name and my business name. So that's it in a nutshell. I need to know if I have a case against him. Is there anything I can do to get my work back or make him give me some kind of compensation for it? Can I place a cease and desist order against him? Is this in any way a violation of trade secrets? Thanks so much.

January 13th, 2023