June 18, 2025
Former Cooper Agent Files Lawsuit Against JAW Lighting
Disputed deal allegedly enabled poaching of employees, clients and territory
In a lawsuit quietly filed three months ago — but now coming to light — Columbus-based lighting rep Spectrum Lighting and its longtime owner Rick Vollhardt have accused rival agency JAW Lighting of misrepresentation, breach of contract, and trade secret violations. The complaint also names six former Spectrum employees as co-defendants, alleging that they breached non-compete agreements and misused confidential company information when they abruptly joined JAW.
At the heart of the case is an alleged acquisition offer that never came to fruition. According to the complaint, JAW Lighting — led by industry veteran Jim Williams — approached Spectrum in late 2024 with a proposal to acquire the agency, retain its staff, and bring Vollhardt into a senior leadership role. What followed, according to Spectrum, was a series of meetings that appeared to pave the way for a smooth transition. JAW was given access to Spectrum’s team. Roles were discussed. Future plans were mapped out.
But the lawsuit alleges the intent was never to follow through on an acquisition. Instead, Spectrum claims, JAW used those meetings to identify which employees it wanted — and then walked away from the deal, taking half a dozen of Spectrum’s people, several key customers, and Cooper Lighting’s Ohio territory with it.
JAW Lighting denies the allegations and has filed a motion to dismiss multiple counts of the complaint. That motion is currently pending before the court. Notably, JAW and the six former employees are represented by the same attorney — a detail that may suggest Williams is funding the legal defense for all defendants.
A Promising Start, Then a Sudden Exit
The legal complaint is just the latest chapter in a fast-moving saga that has reshaped lighting representation across multiple states. In late 2024, Cooper Lighting abruptly replaced four of its agent partners — including Spectrum — with JAW Lighting, a newly formed agency led by Jim Williams, the former CEO of KSA Lighting & Controls in Chicago.
Of the four displaced reps, two — Spectrum and Tennessee Lighting Sales — have since exited the rep business entirely. K2SA in Cincinnati significantly downsized. Engineered Lighting Sales in Kentucky was acquired by SESCO Lighting. JAW, meanwhile, quickly assumed Cooper territories in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio — including the Columbus region previously managed by Spectrum.
But the consolidation unraveled just as quickly. On June 5, JAW Lighting ceased operations with no public warning. Williams cited health issues and announced his retirement. That same day, Cooper Lighting reassigned JAW’s territories to three existing agencies — an orchestrated reshuffling that expanded the footprints of reps in Cleveland, Saint Louis and Atlanta. Notably, there was no July 1 or August 1 start date, no transitional overlap. The changes were synchronized and immediate.
In the wake of the shakeup, certain former employees of both Spectrum and JAW have landed at Lighting & Controls, the Cleveland-based agency now overseeing Cooper’s Columbus and Cincinnati territories — providing a measure of Cooper continuity amid the disruption.
Lawsuit Claims Trade Secret Misuse and Employee Raiding
Spectrum’s complaint claims JAW Lighting and the six former employees violated multiple legal agreements and ethical norms. Among the allegations:
- That JAW gained access to Spectrum’s internal operations under false pretenses.
- That the former employees breached contractual obligations, including non-compete and confidentiality clauses.
- That the mass departure effectively gutted Spectrum’s ability to serve clients, allowing JAW to step in and absorb its business.
Above: Excerpt from Spectrum Lighting, et al vs. JAW Lighting, et al complaint
One claim accuses JAW of "promissory estoppel" — a legal term used when one party makes a promise that another relies on, only for that promise to be rescinded after the damage is done. Spectrum argues that by representing the transition as an acquisition, JAW persuaded it to lower its guard and provide sensitive access.
A Risk Familiar to Many in the Agency Business
This type of shakeup isn’t unprecedented. But it’s a sobering reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in the lighting agent game — especially when a new agent enters a territory with a major lighting brand. For employees, even those at well-established legacy agencies, change can be swift and jarring. When a major brand like Cooper Lighting shifts its alignment to a startup, the displaced legacy agency is often left overstaffed — with more employees than its remaining business can support — leaving many suddenly facing career uncertainty.
We reached out to JAW Lighting principal Jim Williams for comment. He did not respond before publication. We will update this article if he provides a substantive statement. Rick Vollhardt declined to comment.
What Comes Next
The lawsuit is still in early stages. Whether Spectrum can prove that JAW’s actions crossed legal lines remains to be seen. But the case already highlights an uncomfortable truth: in a competitive market where agency roles can flip overnight, trust and stability are often the first casualties.
For now, Spectrum is turning to the courts to reclaim what it believes was wrongfully taken. And the rest of the industry is watching.
