US natural gas producer EQT has accused two former workers of stealing company secrets hours before they were fired amid a mass layoff last month. The charges surfaced in two suits filed in county and federal courts in Pennsylvania last week. They come as the company is trying to stave off activist investor threats that would shake up the EQT board. In the federal case, in the US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, EQT alleged former employee Jeffrey Lo stole files and other secret information "in the dark of night" ahead of a 7 January meeting in which he and about 100 others were laid off. The day before, EQT had asked the employees to attend the meeting, and, according to the complaint, Lo suspected that he would be informed of his termination.
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