Warrior Lacrosse is moving ahead with its plans in the hockey business even as its dispute with Easton Sports continues to play out in the federal court system. Warrior, which is a division of New Balance Athletic Shoe Co. announced last week that it had acquired Innovative Hockey, a designer and manufacturer of high-end graphite hockey sticks, shafts, and blades. Innovative, which will now operate as Warrior Hockey, was founded in 1996 by current president, Ron Kunisaki.

Warrior Hockey will be based in Los Angeles with manufacturing in Tijuana, Mexico. Warrior will also look to utilize Innovative's composite manufacturing facility in Mexico for the production of lacrosse composite handles.

Holmes Ghassemi, who was most recently at Easton, was recently hired as director of marketing to oversee the Warrior hockey and lacrosse business. Ghassemi is at the center of the lawsuit filed in May by Easton Sports, Inc. in the U.S District Court in Michigan against Warrior and New Balance. Easton claims that the two companies “engaged in a campaign of industrial espionage, stealing Easton’s trade secrets, and raiding its employees.”

At issue is Easton’s claim that Warrior and NB attempted to induce Ghassemi, who was then Easton’s director of hockey marketing, to provide Warrior with Easton’s trade secrets and to develop a plan to enter the hockey equipment business. The plan allegedly included the acquisition of Innovative Hockey and the solicitation of other Easton employees.

The suit further alleges that Ghassemi did create a business plan for “Warrior Hockey”, which would compete with Easton. Easton alleges that Ghassemi utilized Easton trade secrets in preparing the plan.

The suit goes on to detail a number of actions allegedly taken by Ghassemi to steal files and encourage Easton employees to join the Warrior organization. The suit also alleges that some of those employees attempted to steal trade secrets, but were foiled in their attempts.

Warrior did appear to win in a different legal action, this one against Brine, Inc. and two brothers that had been under contract with Warrior Lacrosse.

That suit, filed on June 1, claimed that Casey Powell and Ryan Powell breached their employment contract by entering into a relationship with competitor Brine within three years of their termination date from Warrior. The Court issued a preliminary injunction order within days on the grounds that Warrior had shown a likelihood in its action.

The suit was dismissed in late June after the parties entered into a settlement agreement.