Trauma-Sil Lawsuit: $750,000 Judgment Awarded to Esprit De Corps Group LLC

On August 29, 2011, the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, Virginia entered a judgment in the amount of US$750,000 against Joseph "Joe" Ricondo, Jr. of San Antonio, Texas, pursuant to the case Esprit de Corps Group LLC v. Jeffrey Newcombe, Kathryn Newcombe, and Joseph Ricondo, Jr. (Case No. 2010-7065).

The claims against Mr. Ricondo involved tortious interference with contractual relations and business expectancy. The suit alleged that Mr. Ricondo, along with Jeffrey and Katherine Newcombe (contracted manufacturers of Trauma-Sil casualty simulation products), interfered with Esprit de Corp Group's efforts to distribute its Trauma Sil products to US Army Medical Services Divisions and other military and civilian customers. The Defendants' actions were alleged to have willfully and maliciously harmed Esprit de Corps Group LLC (the "Plaintiff") based upon the Defendants' submission of lower-priced bids and offers to Plaintiff's customers and prospective customers while in possession of Plaintiff's confidential pricing information and using the very same Trauma-Sil products that Esprit de Corps Group had developed with the Newcombes for its own distribution.

In response to the same law suit, four months earlier, Jeffrey and Katherine Suk Newcombe of Birch Run, Michigan filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Case No. 11-21584). In the weeks preceding the bankruptcy filing, the Newcombes ceased manufacturing casualty simulation moulage products and exited the industry. The Newcombes' bankruptcy filing occurred shortly after Esprit de Corps Group LLC moved for summary judgment against them.

Esprit de Corps Group LLC founded the Trauma-Sil line of products in 2008, and led all design, production, marketing, and distribution efforts for the products until March 2010. Esprit de Corps Group LLC subsequently developed and now manufactures and distributes industry-leading silicone casualty simulation moulage products under the name "TraumaSkin FX" through its Paint and Powder Cosmetics and Military Moulage Combat Injury Simulation divisions. Esprit de Corps Group's products have been vastly improved through a new manufacturer to accommodate rugged, continuous interactive training exercises in both battlefield and forensic lab settings.

Joseph Ricondo, Jr. was previously employed as an Education and Training Manager at Medical Education Technologies, Inc. (METI), and previously employed at General Dyamics. He has been an employee, or acted as as a consultant to various medical services/manufacturing companies including Strategic Skills Training Institute in San Antonio, Texas.

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