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A California winery is suing its former chief of staff, alleging the Carmel woman took without permission more than 21,000 documents when she resigned.
The plaintiffs also claim that, as recently as August, the defendant tried to access the winery’s security systems, according to court documents.
Around the time Laura Baker resigned from Fantesca Estate & Winery in July, she also copied, retained and transferred more than 26,000 emails belonging to the winery and its owners, Susan Schulze Hoff and Duane David Hoff, court documents state.
These emails and documents contained private medical information for the Hoffs and their children, private financial, accounting and tax information, according to the lawsuit. Because of Baker’s actions, the couple was locked out of critical financial and personal accounts, the lawsuit states.
The Indiana Lawyer reached out to Baker directly via email for comment, and she did not immediately respond Monday afternoon. Attorneys for Baker were not listed in court documents.
Baker was hired in 2021 as an estate manager at a starting salary of $180,000, according to court papers. By 2025, she had been promoted to chief of staff, and her salary climbed to $270,375.
When she was hired, Baker signed a non-disclosure form that stated she would not use confidential information for any purpose other than directed and for the benefit of the company. The plaintiffs state that Baker had no business need to obtain any of the documents or emails, either during or after her resignation.
The non-disclosure agreement also stated that she would return all materials and documents connected to the company when she left. Baker has yet to certify that the documents have been deleted, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs are suing Baker for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and violating the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
The case was filed in early October in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
The case is Fantesca LLC, d/b/a Fantesca Estate & Winery, Susan Schulze Hoff, and Duane David Hoff v. Laura Baker, 1:26-cv-02174-SEB-MKK.
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