AdaptHealth says incoming CEO sued by former employer Linde

Aug 17 (Reuters) - U.S. respiratory equipment provider AdaptHealth said on Thursday its incoming CEO Crispin Teufel has been sued by former employer Linde, and is seeking to block the appointment for an unspecified time.

The lawsuit, filed in the Connecticut district court, has petitioned to block Teufel from starting at AdaptHealth in September, as Linde seeks protection over confidential information and trade secrets.

Teufel was the CEO of Linde's unit Lincare, a rival to AdaptHealth and a provider of sleep apnea therapy and other respiratory care.

AdaptHealth is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, and the company said it is closely monitoring the situation and any potential effect on Teufel's starting date.

Linde did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The lawsuit was filed on Monday by two of Linde's units, Linde Inc and Lincare Inc, AdaptHealth said.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)