(Bloomberg) -- The former head of global operations at Barings asked a judge to keep her out of a lawsuit brought by the investment manager over the defection of herself and several other employees to upstart Corinthia Global Management.

Kelsey Tucker, the former Barings executive, argues her former employer’s claims against her are “frivolous” and don’t show that any valid contract was broken, among other things, according to filings in North Carolina state court. 

Barings sued Corinthia and former employees Ian Fowler and Tucker in March after the private credit firm hired more than 20 employees from Barings, marking one of the biggest team lifts at an alternative asset manager in recent years. The company said its lawsuit was designed to prevent Corinthia from poaching more employees and soliciting Barings clients. 

Read More: Barings Sues Corinthia, Fowler Over Private Credit Defection 

Tucker left Barings over a year ago due to the firm’s culture and any non-solicitation obligations she had expired “months ago,” Tucker argues in court papers. 

“Barings is sad because employees from its Global Private Finance (“GPF”) group chose to leave and join Corinthia,” lawyers for Tucker said in her court filing. “But to the best of Ms. Tucker’s knowledge, those at-will employees did not have noncompetes and were free to leave Barings and seek employment elsewhere at any time.”

A representative for Corinthia declined to comment.

“We have full conviction in the merits of our suit and will not sit idly by and allow the defendants’ misconduct to occur,” Barings said in a emailed statement. The firm commenced litigation “as a result of the defendants’ blatant disregard of their fiduciary and contractual obligations to Barings and our clients, which goes against Barings’ codes of conduct and ethics.”

--With assistance from Madlin Mekelburg.

(Adds further comment from Barings in final paragraph)

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.