Hewlett-Packard has sued to block Mark Hurd, its former chief executive, from taking up a senior role at Oracle, adding a twist to a saga that has transfixed Silicon Valley.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in a California court, came a day after Mr Hurd became a co-president at Oracle, giving him a key role as the software maker competes with HP in computer hardware. The suit seeks an injunction preventing Mr Hurd taking up the role.
The appointment marked a quick return for one of the industry’s most highly regarded executives. He was forced out by HP’s board in August after being found to have breached its code of conduct by mis-stating expenses linked to a relationship with a former HP marketing consultant.