Openforce Files Lawsuit Against GigSafe & CEO David Pickerell for Trade Secret Misappropriation & Unfair Competition

Openforce alleges, among other things, GigSafe and David Pickerell misappropriated trade secrets and fraudulently accessed its platform.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, UNITED STATES, May 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Openforce, the leading provider of compliance software, technology tools, and insurance solutions for independent contractor vendor workforce management, filed a lawsuit today in Arizona federal district court against Para, Inc. (d/b/a GigSafe) and its CEO, David Pickerell. In its Complaint, which is available at this link, Openforce alleges that GigSafe and Pickerell engaged in a pattern of wrongdoing directed at misappropriating Openforce’s trade secrets and unfairly competing to steal customers. Openforce’s Complaint alleges that GigSafe and Pickerell did so by directing several of their employees to misrepresent their status and intentions as independent contractors to study the bespoke workflows that Openforce created for several contracting companies using its platform.

Openforce alleged in its Complaint that, among other things, GigSafe and its personnel, at the direction of CEO David Pickerell and through the use of misrepresentations and fraud, improperly gained access to the Openforce software systems and related workflows for specific contracting company customers of Openforce. Openforce alleges that GigSafe used this access to misappropriate Openforce’s trade secrets, and proprietary workflows in an unlawful attempt to lure away Openforce’s customers.

“I’m pleased to report that our client operations and information are safe and sound, but we are dismayed by the actions described in our Complaint that have required us to take this unprecedented step,” said Wendy Greenland, Openforce’s CEO. “While I can’t comment on details of the pending case, we take very seriously our intellectual property and trade secrets, which we have dedicated years to developing, and we will take steps to protect it.”

Openforce is represented by David S. Almeling, Patrick V. Plassio, and Christopher B. Phillips of O’Melveny & Myers LLP and Cameron A. Fine and Madeline A. Cordray of DLA Piper LLP (US). The case has been filed in the District of Arizona, Case Number 2:25-cv-01645-DWL.

About Openforce
Openforce^® is the leading compliance and workforce management software and payments processing platform for managing the commercial relationships between contracting companies, vendors who provide workforce labor, and independent contractors (ICs). Its cloud- based software is a vital tool that empowers contracting companies to operate with confidence by addressing compliance risks and lowering operational costs through AI-powered onboarding, insurance enablement, contracting, and settlement processing (including vendor invoicing and deduction management) technology. In addition, Openforce provides customized insurance solutions tailored to ICs and critical business tools that ICs need to manage their small businesses and increase their profits. Openforce also serves the Insurtech market with its innovative insurance policy administration software solution tailored to IC insureds that minimizes carrier losses and increases profits for insurers, brokers, and agents. Openforce is a portfolio company of Boston-based private equity firm Riverside Partners. Learn more at www.oforce.com.

Jaimie Kowalski
Openforce
+1 847-669-4829
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Facebook
X