TSMC sues former executive over defection to Intel, says it's highly likely he stole trade secrets — chipmaker claims Wei-Jen Lo broke non-disclosure and non-compete agreements

TSMC has filed a lawsuit against its former Senior Vice President, Wei-Jen Lo, who left to join Intel as Executive Vice President, alleging that he likely shared TSMC's trade secrets with Intel. The chipmaker claims Lo breached non-disclosure and non-compete agreements by not disclosing his plans to join Intel during his exit interview. TSMC asserts that Lo's access to technical information, continued contact with R&D staff, and immediate move to a major competitor raise suspicions of potential trade secret misuse. The company has sought intervention from the Taiwanese Intellectual Property and Commercial Court to address the situation.