Starbucks in settlement with former executive

Seattle Starbucks Coffee Co. has settled a lawsuit it filed against a former executive, charging him with breaching a non-competition condition of his employment contract.

Terms of the accord with Paul Twohig, a former Southeast-region senior VP at Starbucks, call for him to complete his initial training but not to begin work at his new employer, Dunkin' Donuts, until Jan. 15.

Twohig "reconfirmed his commitments not to share Starbucks trade secrets and other confidential information with Dunkin' at any time," Starbucks said.

In a statement Saturday, Starbucks also said it would be paid $500,000; it did not say whether the executive or Dunkin' would pay the funds. The company had filed its lawsuit against Twohig early this month in U.S. District Court in Seattle.