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LISBON -- A lawsuit filed in January by Dr. Constantine V. Economous of Salem against his partner physicians and office manager at Family Practice Center of Salem has been settled.
No details of the settlement were made available, but a court entry signed by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam said that a settlement agreement had been reached among Economous and the defendants, with all of his claims against the defendants dismissed with prejudice, meaning the case can't be refiled.
Economous had named Dr. Michael Sevilla, Dr. Brianne Bagwell, Dr. Joseph Rousher and office manager Shannon Whitehill as the defendants in the case, along with the Family Practice Center of Salem, Inc.
According to the complaint, Economous alleged that the other three doctors have been making plans to leave the practice and join Pioneer Physicians Network Inc., a network of physician practices based in Cuyahoga Falls. There was also an alleged contract to purchase the former Salem Area Visiting Nurses Association building on East Third Street in Salem to establish the new venture with Pioneer Physicians Network, according to the lawsuit.
During a meeting in December, the other three doctors announced to Economous their intention to leave the practice and they voted to remove restrictive covenants from the physician employment agreements. The vote was 3-1, with Economous voting no.
Two days after that special meeting, the doctors, without Economous present, met with employees and solicited them to apply for positions with Pioneer Physicians Network and it was believed that several employees submitted applications to the doctors or Whitehill.
The restrictive covenants removed by the doctors from their contracts included a covenant not to compete.
Economous accused the other doctors of taking actions to harm the corporation, Family Practice Center, by removing the non-compete clause, soliciting other employees to violate the restrictive convenants and contracting to purchase a property a little over a mile away to directly compete with the practice.
The practice, in existence since 1974, is located at 2370 Southeast Boulevard, Salem.
According to the judgment entry regarding the settlement, court costs were taxed to the defendant Family Practice Center of Salem Inc.