An investment vehicle controlled by Panera Bread founder and former CEO Ron Shaich has accused the fast-casual restaurant chain in Delaware Chancery Court of trying to “block the success” of Shaich’s new business venture.

In a lawsuit made public on Wednesday, Act III Management said St. Louis, Missouri-based Panera was improperly seeking the noncompetition agreements of three Panera employees, in a hiring dispute that exposed the tensions between Panera and the man that oversaw much of the company’s growth.