Dunkin' Donuts executive settles with Starbucks

By TIM KLASS

SEATTLE

Competition between Starbucks Coffee Co. and Dunkin' Donuts has gone beyond mochas and lattes, to corporate executives.

Paul Twohig (TOO'-ig) of Hilton Head, S.C., a former Starbucks senior vice president who jumped ship to work for Dunkin', reportedly is paying $500,000 to settle a lawsuit. According to the Seattle company, he also promised not to share Starbucks' trade secrets with Dunkin' or to start work before Jan. 15.

Starbucks sued on Oct. 5 after Twohig took a job as brand operations officer for Dunkin', a division of Dunkin' Brands Inc. of Canton, Mass. Twohig had been in charge of Starbucks retail operations in the southeastern U.S., and the company accused him of violating a non-competition agreement.

Twohig's lawyer, Paul R. Taylor, did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday.