Electric vehicle startup Canoo is accusing a swath of its former C-suite executives—including deputy general counsel Michael Fielkow—of stealing trade secrets to form their own competing EV company using Canoo’s proprietary technology.

Canoo, which is known for its distinctive egg-shaped auto design, filed a federal lawsuit on Dec. 22 accusing former Canoo CEO John Harris, chief technology officer Phillip Weicker, chief operating officer William Eberts, vice president Alexi Charbonneau and Fielkow of swiping Canoo’s proprietary technology and poaching its employees to create Harbinger Motors in 2021.