Downtown Business Feud: Jewelry Store Owner Sues New Nantucket Boutique
David Creed •
A feud between the island jewelry store The Vault and a luxury boutique from Florida that is slated to open a new location in downtown Nantucket next month is headed to court.
A lawsuit was filed Monday afternoon by The Vault's owner, Katherine Jetter, against Marissa Collections, which is just weeks away from opening a new seasonal luxury boutique location at 1 Cambridge Street. The complaint includes allegations of backstabbing and more than a quarter-million dollars worth of jewelry being held hostage.
The lawsuit claims that the owners of the Marissa Collections - Jay, Marissa, and Burt Hartington - turned their backs on a non-compete agreement with Jetter that included confidential business information possessed by the Vault as the two sides allegedly discussed a potential partnership. The Hartingtons subsequently announced they will be opening a new location for the Marissa Collections this June, just a quarter of a mile away from the Vault’s downtown location at 33 Centre Street.
“In the hands of a competitor like Marissa Collections, the confidential information and business strategies that the Marissa Collections Parties improperly acquired, retained, and used represents a significant and imminent threat, at present and into the future, to The Vault's and Ms. Jetter's business especially now that Marissa Collections seeks to operate a brick-and-mortar store just blocks away from The Vault during Nantucket's upcoming high-season, mere months after signing the non-compete,” the lawsuit states.
According to the 119-page court document, the two parties began to explore a potential business partnership in 2023. The owners of Marissa Collections, which up until recently only had stores in Naples and Palm Beach, Florida, expressed interest in expanding into the Nantucket market.
Jetter said in her lawsuit that the Hartingtons had “no experience or knowledge about running a high-end store on the island, or about the unique sales, marketing, and financial patterns on Nantucket that are impacted by the seasonality of the business.”
“In contrast, Ms. Jetter already had an established foothold on Nantucket in the same exact market that the Hartingtons were seeking to enter,” the suit says. “Under the guise of exploring a partnership either a purchase of or merger with The Vault Nantucket – Jay Hartington made trips to Massachusetts to meet with Ms. Jetter and to gather information about her operations, business and marketing strategies, financial information, books & records, location, and market clientele within the exclusive island community.”
Jetter said she entered into the negotiations in good faith, and that as the discussions moved forward, they became more detailed and extensive. Jetter said in exchange for the Vault’s confidential information, Jay Hartington signed two contracts, one on April 14th, 2023 and the second on October 23rd, 2024, that outlined binding confidentiality and non-competition restrictions such as agreeing not to compete with The Vault within a limited 50-mile radius of its location and to safeguard the confidentiality of The Vault's sensitive business information and trade secrets. The contracts are included in the lawsuit as exhibits one and two.
Jetter alleges in the lawsuit that the Marissa Collections' CEO further represented to her that Marissa Collections would "never" independently operate a location on Nantucket without her since Nantucket was her "territory."
“The Vault Parties' confidential and proprietary information has significant value and would provide a competitor like Marissa Collections with a distinct and improper economic advantage, including a roadmap and an unfair competitive edge, with a head start in a unique market on Nantucket,” the suit says. “Indeed, defendants obtained not just operational details about The Vault's business, but comprehensive financial and business analyses that included multi-year data. This type of information is therefore of present and future value to a competitor like Marissa Collections and remains competitively valuable and sensitive for multiple seasonal cycles.
“Simply put, Ms. Jetter never would have provided her business's most sensitive information, trade secrets, financials, and business models without legal assurances that Marissa Collections could not improperly use it and open its own store on Nantucket and compete with her,” the suit continues. “But that is exactly what the Marissa Collections Parties did.”
Jetter said Hartington engaged in negotiations with two Nantucket-based real estate brokerages throughout 2024 and into the early part of this year, seeking to secure a lease for a commercial space for Marissa Collections to open a competing store just months after signing the October 2024 agreement.
“Ms. Jetter was stunned to find out about Defendants' underhanded conduct,” the suit says. “When she confronted Jay Hartington in January 2025 and reminded him of his contractual commitments, he brazenly indicated the restrictions to which he twice agreed had no import, resorted to threats, and as detailed further below, has improperly held hostage Ms. Jetter's high-value jewelry inventory for months and months.”
Jetter is also alleging that Marissa Collections is withholding substantial payments to her for past jewelry sales in their stores and improperly holding hostage “hundreds of thousands of dollars” of her jewelry inventory, which is inventory that Marissa Collections is no longer marketing or selling itself but refusing to return. Jetter says it is approximately $250,000 worth of jewelry in retail value.
Jetter said that for years, Marissa Collections has sold her jewelry line through a consignment arrangement, which allowed Jetter to retain ownership of her jewelry while Marissa Collections temporarily takes possession of it to display, market, and sell. If a sale is made, the proceeds go to Jetter, who deducts a commission.
“Additionally, in a blatant display of extortionist conduct, Jay Hartington even threatened to sue Ms. Jetter for so-called "tortious interference" claims if she did not capitulate to his demands,” the suit says. “For example, on January 16, 2025, Mr. Hartington demanded that Ms. Jetter within less than 24 hours —fully release him from his contractual commitments and to waive all of her rights under the 2024 Confidentiality & Non-Compete Agreement.”
The lawsuit includes 10 counts including Breach of Contract – Non- Competition, Breach of Contract – Confidentiality, Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing, Tortious Interference, Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices in Violation of Massachusetts Law, Misappropriation of Trade Secrets in Violation of Massachusetts Law, Misappropriation of Confidential Business Information, Conversion, Unjust Enrichment, and Declaratory Judgement.
The requested relief made by Jetter includes:
- Requesting the court to enter judgment in favor of her and against the defendants on all counts;
- Granting equitable relief, including in the form of an injunction prohibiting Defendants from breaching the 2024 Confidentiality & Non-Compete Agreement, from acquiring, using and/or disclosing Plaintiffs' trade secrets and/or confidential information, and from continuing to possess Plaintiffs' inventory.
- Enter a declaratory judgment that the 2024 Confidentiality & Non-Compete Agreement is valid and enforceable.
- Award her damages in an amount to be determined at trial (including treble damages), plus pre-judgment and post-judgment interest at the maximum rate permitted by law.
- Award her all costs, expenses, and attorneys' fees.
- Grant such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper.
Jetter is demanding a jury trial. The Current reached out to both parties seeking comment, and they both declined to speak on the litigation.
Jay Hartington did tell the Current he and his team are "looking forward to a successful summer season within the vibrant Nantucket community."
“We’re excited to bring the Marissa Collections experience to Nantucket,” Hartington said. “The island’s charm, elegance, and strong sense of community align beautifully with our brand values. Our goal is to connect with both existing clients and new visitors through a personal and elevated shopping experience.”