Agent for Top Tennis Stars Sued

A dispute between International Management Group and a former employee, Jeffrey Schwartz, has landed in court. The management firm filed suit Monday in Ohio and New York, charging Schwartz with “fraud and misrepresentation.”

Schwartz, agent for tennis stars Pete Sampras, Marcelo Rios and Martina Hingis, left the company Feb. 19 to open his own law firm.

He had been with IMG for six years and called the allegations “utterly false.” Schwartz added that the charges were “a lame effort to discourage clients from retaining me.”

Said IMG’s Bob Kain, head of its tennis division, “ . . . Very quickly, we found evidence that we believe shows his conduct was malicious and intentional and designed to steal some our clients.”

Sampras said he is staying with Schwartz.