Richmond, Texas, November 20, 2008. A jury in Fort Bend County found in favor of Deborah Downing in her case against her former employers, Sherry and Don Burns who operate a RE MAX real estate firm in Sugar Land. The Burnses accused Downing of misappropriating trade secrets and confidential information as well as stealing checks from them after her employment ended. They threatened her new employer, Keller Williams, a competing real estate agency, with litigation if they continued to employ her. Downing subsequently lost that job and sued the Burnses for tortuous interference and defamation. The jury awarded her $100,000.00 total on her claims. Gregg M. Rosenberg of Rosenberg & Sprovach represented Ms. Downing.