Buckeye Transplant Services, LLC has filed a lawsuit accusing a former business partner and several ex-employees of stealing trade secrets to unfairly compete in the organ transplant logistics industry. The complaint was filed on January 16, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against Donor Staff Support, LLC (DSS), now operating as Dedicated Staffing Solutions, along with Christopher Thome, John Warnock, and Jennifer Mullis.
According to Buckeye Transplant Services, a leading provider of organ transplant management services across the U.S., the defendants misappropriated confidential information critical to its operations. This included proprietary lists of hospital decision-makers and vetted private aircraft operators used for transporting organs and medical personnel. Buckeye alleges that these trade secrets were stolen by Thome, Warnock, and Mullis shortly before their resignation from the company and subsequently handed over to DSS. This act allegedly enabled DSS to rapidly enter a new segment of the transplantation network without investing time or resources in developing such capabilities themselves.
The complaint details how DSS had previously been negotiating with Buckeye for logistics services but abruptly ended discussions in October 2025. Following this, Thome resigned on November 21, 2025; Warnock on November 22; and Mullis on November 28. It is alleged that after her resignation as an advanced logistics specialist, Mullis downloaded nearly a thousand documents containing sensitive information onto her personal computer. Similarly, Thome is accused of downloading around 800 documents including customer lists and pricing models just before his departure.
Buckeye contends that these actions constitute violations under both federal law—the Defend Trade Secrets Act—and Ohio state law. They claim that DSS’s subsequent launch into full-service transplant logistics on January 6, 2026—boasting access to “highly vetted” flight providers at low costs—was built upon stolen trade secrets. Furthermore, Buckeye asserts that this misappropriation was part of a premeditated scheme involving multiple parties conspiring to undermine its business.
In response to these allegations, Buckeye seeks damages for lost revenue and harm to its reputation. Additionally, they are requesting preliminary and permanent injunctions against all defendants to prevent further use or disclosure of their trade secrets. The company also demands exemplary damages due to what it describes as willful misconduct by the defendants.
Representing Buckeye Transplant Services are attorneys Matthew L. Jalandoni from Flannery | Georgalis LLC based in Columbus and Patrick M. Rahill from Cleveland office along with John T Sullivan & Elena V Modl from Dorsey & Whitney LLP located in Minneapolis who are appearing pro hac vice pending approval by court jurisdiction over this matter lies within Judge’s purview under Case ID: 3:26-cv-00124
Source: 326cv00124_Buckeye_Transplant_Services_LLC_v_Donor_Staff_Support_LLC_Complaint_Northern_District_Ohio.pdf
