[1] However in April 2009, Starwood Hotels and Resorts filed suit against Hilton and its Denizen brand, accusing two former Starwood executives including Ross Klein, the former president of Starwood Hotels of stealing and taking trade secrets to Hilton for the development of the new brand.
Hilton suspended development of the Denizen brand and placed the team on paid administrative leave.
On April 24, 2009, a US district judge enjoined Starwood and ordered Hilton to stop development of its brand pending further investigation of corporate espionage.
[2] In December 2010, Hilton Worldwide agreed to settle the lawsuit with Starwood.
Two court-appointed monitors supervised Hilton’s operations to ensure it complied with the injunction.