Adam Levine has a message for TPG Capital: If you want to sue me for leaking classified information, you had better do it in California.
Levine is TPG’s former managing director for public affairs, who is alleged to have sent private firm documents to reporters after failing to secure a promotion. TPG filed suit against him more than two months ago in Texas district court, for various misappropriation of trade secrets, breaches of contract and breaches of fiduciary duty. The firm initially had trouble serving Levine with legal papers, ultimately getting a judge’s permission to both slide them under his apartment door and deliver them via email.
Levine had not formally responded to the charges until last Thursday, when he asked the Texas court to dismiss the complaint on the grounds of improper venue. Basically, Levine is saying that since he lives in San Francisco and was based in San Francisco while working for TPG, any such claims would have to be made in a California court. Moreover, he claims that the”TPG entity that is a contracting party shares California citizenship with Levine.”
[scribd id=261045605 key=key-3uqC2NQoOPTP4AqehHj6 mode=scroll]
It also is worth noting that Levine last week filed his own suit against TPG (in California, natch), claiming that he was retaliated against after internally blowing the whistle on alleged improprieties in the firm’s accounting practices (concerns he has since brought to the SEC). He also has denied TPG’s accusations, while TPG has denied Levine’s.
Get Term Sheet, our daily newsletter on deals and deal-makers.