High Court grants three-week injunction against swimming instructor Ricardo Rojas

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The High Court granted a three-week injunction against swimming instructor Ricardo Rojas on 17 June 2022, restraining him from giving lessons within five miles of his former employer’s premises.

Mr Justice Conor Dignam made the order in favour of Limerick-based Swim Max Limited. It also prevents Mr Rojas from using the company’s trade secrets and confidential information about training techniques or competing with it during the period of the order.

Swim Max claimed that Mr Rojas had breached a restrictive covenant in his employment contract by giving lessons. Its counsel, Jack Nicholas BL, said the covenant restricted employees from using the company’s methods or coaching swimming within the specified area for six months after leaving.

In a sworn statement, company founder and owner Diana Daly said she had discovered that Mr Rojas was giving swimming lessons at another pool in the Limerick area. She claimed he was in breach of the covenant and said Swim Max feared reputational damage if the injunction was not granted.

Mr Rojas was not in court for the hearing. The judge said he could make submissions when the matter returned to court and could apply before then to have the order removed or altered.

This report covers an earlier stage of the case. Later developments are not reported here.