Indianapolis-based freight service company sues former chief strategy officer

An Indianapolis-based freight service company is suing its former chief strategy officer, alleging that the employee breached his employment agreement by working for a competitor and soliciting customers and an employee to join him.

R2X LLC is suing its former employee, R2X LLC, and the company he went to work for, Chicago-based Traffic Tech Inc. The lawsuit was filed on March 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

R2X is represented by David Carr and Paul Sweeney with Ice Miller LLP. When asked for comment, Carr said the pleadings speak for themselves and that R2X simply wants justice in the matter.

According to the complaint, defendant Kowalewski joined R2X as its chief strategy officer in February 2024. As part of his employment with the company, Kowalewski entered into a contractual agreement with the company.

The agreement stated that Kowalewski could not 1) use any of R2X’s confidential information for anything other than the company’s own benefit; 2) solicit business from certain “restricted customers” of R2X for 24 months after leaving the company and; 3) solicit certain “covered employees” from R2X for 24 months after leaving the company.

“Restricted customers” included any company that was an R2X customer in the 24 months preceding Kowalewski’s last day with R2X. “Covered employees” meant anyone who was employed by R2X in the 24 months preceding Kowalewski’s last day with R2x or anyone who has access to company knowledge that might give a competitor an unfair advantage.

In October 2024, Kowalewski’s employment with R2X ended. By December, Kowalewski was working for Traffic Tech, another freight service company that R2X says is a direct competitor.

After Kowalewski left R2X in October 2024, R2X through its attorneys reminded Kowalewski of his employment agreement with R2X and what restrictions were still in place for him, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit states that in December 2024, R2X forwarded a copy of Kowalewski’s employment agreement to his new employer, Traffic Tech, to avoid litigation. Traffic Tech confirmed that it received the agreement, the lawsuit states.

But R2X alleges that despite the employment agreement being in place, Kowalewski provided logistic services to R2X’s restricted customers, which R2X said has caused damage to the company.

R2X also claims that Kowalewski recruited a “covered employee” at R2X to join him at Traffic Tech, stating in the lawsuit that Kowalewski’s actions led the employee to leave R2X.

The Indiana Lawyer reached out to Kowalewski directly, who said he had no comment to provide on the lawsuit.

Traffic Tech did not respond to a request for comment.

On Jan. 23, 2026, counsel for R2X requested that Kowalewski stop violating his employment agreement and pay for the damages he’s caused to the company, according to the complaint.

On Feb. 2, 2026, Kowalewski emailed R2X’s attorneys and allegedly declined the company’s request for his compliance, the complaint states.

R2X is suing Kowalewski on two counts of breach of contract for soliciting both restricted customers and covered employees.

According to R2X, Kowalewski’s breach of contract has caused the company to lose more than $307,000 in profits from restricted customers.

R2X is suing Traffic Tech for tortious interference with a contractual relationship, accusing Traffic Tech of knowing Kowalewski was in an employment agreement with R2X, but instead of honoring the agreement Traffic Tech conspired with and encouraged Kowalewski to breach it.

R2x is seeking damages totaling $307,253.27 and any additional compensatory damage caused by Kowalewski violating his employment contract.

The case is R2X LLC v. Mitchell Kowalewski and Traffic Tech Inc., 1:26-cv-00482-RLY-KMB.