A recent news story from Bloomberg Law relayed that an attorney from Susman Godfrey LLP and Arendi S.A.R.L. have successfully defended against allegations that they revealed confidential information from Apple Inc. The alleged leak was said to have transpired during a trial where Google LLC was accused of infringing a computer program patent. Notably, Apple was not a part of this suit.
Earlier in May, Apple had filed a motion for sanctions against Arendi’s counsel, Seth Ard of Susman Godfrey, and an expert witness on the grounds that the confidential information was made public during a hypothetical negotiation discussion. However, this motion has been denied by Judge Jennifer L. Hall of the US District Court for the District of Delaware, as per an oral order.
This article serves as a pertinent reminder for all legal professionals of the complexities and nuances associated with the handling of confidential information within a legal case, even when the concerned parties are not directly involved in the lawsuit.