Santa Cruz, United States: Joby Aviation has filed a lawsuit against rival Archer Aviation, alleging that the company gained an unfair competitive advantage by using confidential business information taken by a former Joby executive. The complaint, lodged in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, claims the misconduct allowed Archer to pursue a more lucrative arrangement with one of Joby’s key real-estate partners.
According to the filing, Joby accuses former employee George Kivork, its ex-head of U.S. state and local policy, of downloading and transferring internal documents days before resigning in July and joining Archer. Joby Aviation says the files included details on partnership agreements, regulatory strategies, vertiport infrastructure plans, and operational data related to its electric aircraft. A forensic review cited in the lawsuit found that Kivork allegedly emailed dozens of files to his personal account and altered permissions on hundreds more, enabling him to retain access after his departure.
Joby Aviation argues that Archer later approached a strategic real-estate developer with insight drawn from the leaked information, attempting to outbid Joby’s existing agreement. The company is seeking unspecified monetary damages and an injunction to stop Archer Aviation from using any of the disputed materials.
Archer Aviation has rejected the accusations. In a statement, Eric Lentell, Archer’s Chief Legal and Strategy Officer, said the lawsuit “is entirely without merit” and lacks identification of any specific trade secrets. He added that the company has no agreement with the developer referenced in Joby’s complaint and criticised the lawsuit as an attempt to disrupt competitive dynamics in the emerging electric air-taxi sector.
The dispute comes as both firms accelerate toward FAA certification and negotiate infrastructure and development partnerships essential for future eVTOL services. Archer previously faced a similar trade-secrets battle with Wisk Aero, which was settled in 2023, but maintains that its compliance systems prevent misuse of any proprietary information from former employees’ previous employers.
The court has scheduled the first hearing for March 20, 2026, with the case expected to progress through motions and discovery well into next year.
