Taiwanese personal computer maker Acer Inc. (2353.TW) said Tuesday it has initiated legal action against former chief executive and president Gianfranco Lanci in Italian courts, as the company believes Lanci breached the non-compete clause in his contract when he left in 2011.

The move comes after rival Lenovo Group Ltd. (0992.HK) said last month it had hired Lanci to lead its new Europe, Middle East and Africa division.

Lanci, who left Acer in March last year, was credited by analysts, investors and people within the company for forming strong relationships with distributors in Europe, which Lenovo is keen to use to its advantage. He was replaced by Chairman J.T. Wang, who intends to capitalize on the rise of tablets and multiple PC operating systems.

"Acer has a solid 2012 business plan for the European market and is back on the right track of end-to-end operations," it said in the statement Tuesday.

-By Lorraine Luk, Dow Jones Newswires; 8862-25022557; lorraine.luk@dowjones.com