A former Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB) manager says the company is punishing him with a lawsuit for going public with its misdeeds.

A little more than a month ago, two consumers filed a proposed class action in California against AB, the world's largest brewer, claiming it waters down some of its beer brands in order to boost profits. The plaintiffs' attorney said his clients' claims came from former “high-level” AB employees. Since the first suit, at least seven more have been filed.

Just one week after the suit, AB struck back. It sued James Clark, former director of operations support, for allegedly misappropriating trade secrets. Clark worked at AB from 1998 until June 2012, when he resigned to become a lawyer.