Sonny Etheridge is making plans to leave his current employer after 13 years of service. He plans to set up a new firm that will engage in very similar business activities as his current firm. Etheridge resigns his post, and before he leaves the employment of his current firm, makes arrangements on his own time to register his new company as a legal entity. He plans to compete aggressively with his current firm and is confident that he can have success based on the experience and knowledge he has in the industry. While he will not take any client lists from his current employer, he intends to use public information about his current clients to contact them once he has established his new firm. Is Etheridge in violation of Standard IV(A): Loyalty