Landus Cooperative of Ames has filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of the United States District Court, naming NEW Cooperative and two of their employees in 13 counts. Documents filed with the court ask for a temporary restraining order, actual, punitive and exemplary damages along with attorney fees and interest. Jeffrey Ryan Headley and Brian David Berns were former Landus employees who are accused of the theft and misappropriation of confidential information considered “trade secrets” and then of attempting to cover up this theft by destroying evidence. The suit also states that since the defendants were employed by NEW Cooperative at that time, the cooperative is liable for their actions. The filing says Headley and Berns were field sales agronomists, Berns through the Churdan and Farnhamville Landus locations and Headley through Paton and Somers. Both had access to pricing, inventory and strategy information. When Berns’ employment at Landus was terminated in early De