A former Google employee, Linwei Ding, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly transferring sensitive Google artificial intelligence (AI) trade secrets and other confidential information to his personal account, according to information released by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The indictment comprises four counts of theft of trade secrets. Ding, a Chinese…
In a recent intellectual property theft case involving Analog Devices Inc. (ADI), a federal judge in Massachusetts chose to refer to ADI’s hiring of a high-priced Quinn Emanuel attorney as tantamount to employing “a brain surgeon to pop a pimple.” This comment came as he denied an order for restitution for the incurred legal costs….
The world of legal work is often shrouded in secrecy. Legal professionals handle investigations of misconduct, shield trade secrets and fight insider trading. A significant part of their work involves maintaining a cloud of confidentiality that even a subpoena cannot pierce. This glimpses into the complicated nature of legal professions. However, an overreliance on Non-Disclosure…
Spencer Fane LLP recently fortified its growing intellectual property (IP) division with the acquisition of three adept attorneys from McKool Smith. The trio, known for their specialization in patent and trade secrets disputes, have built reputations as experts in high-stakes, ‘bet-the-company’ litigation. This news comes as Spencer Fane is engaged in a period of expansion,…
Fish & Richardson, a prominent legal services provider, has announced the addition of two key members- Louis Fogel and Shaun Van Horn to their litigation group, particularly the life sciences industry team in Chicago. The move, announced on Wednesday, aims to strengthen the firm’s expertise in life sciences. Louis Fogel brings valuable experience in a…
In the coming week, Samsung intends to seek a Texas court’s intervention in an increasingly controversial intellectual property matter. The tech heavyweight aims for a patent litigation company to disclose its interactions with litigation funders in the run-up to a trial in the following month. The trial seeks to determine whether Samsung’s previous in-house legal…
In a recent turn of events, a California federal court declared that the mistrial of a food importer trade secrets lawsuit instigated by an ill-conceived question posed by a plaintiff’s attorney demands disciplinary action, albeit not as severe as initially deemed. This verdict stemmed from the litigation between Perrin Bernard Supowitz LLC, also known as…
Senior executives at HSBC Holdings Plc were reportedly aware of an alleged plan formulated by the bank’s US unit to hire staff and illicitly obtain trade secrets from Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). This comes following the acquisition of the beleaguered SVB by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. last year, according to a revised lawsuit…
The latest legal development from the tech corporate sphere comes as a dispute between Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and Staton Techiya LLC prepares to take a new turn. The companies have reached an agreement to set a bench trial centering around a defense of ‘unclean hands’. This defense stems from allegations of misconduct against two…
In recent legal news, a curious strategy was successful in a high-stakes lawsuit against Tesla’s Elon Musk. The counsels managed to lead their case to victory by allowing the jury to hear Musk’s own words in connection to his $55 billion pay package. Reported by Wall Street Journal. The prestigious law firm Proskauer has reached…
Fisher Phillips, a major player in the legal industry, has reportedly acquired Blue Pencil Box, a promising legal technology company. Alongside this acquisition, the founder of Blue Pencil Box, Jonathan Crook, has been named a partner within Fisher Phillips, according to the firm’s statement issued on Wednesday. As part of Fisher Phillips, Blue Pencil Box…
Blank Rome, a prominent legal firm, announced the addition of Philip N. Yannella to the corporate litigation group as a partner. Alongside his role in corporate litigation, Yannella will serve as co-chair of the privacy, security, and data protection practice based in Philadelphia. The announcement was met with anticipation as Yannella brings an extensive and…
A long-standing litigation concerning trade secrets misappropriation involving Escrow agent SRS Acquiom and PNC Bank has recently been settled. The lawsuit, which started in 2019, was brought forward by SRS Acquiom over allegations that two of their former employees used proprietary information in their new roles to aid PNC Bank in gaining a competitive edge….
Stoel Rives, the prominent law firm based in Portland, Oregon, has recently welcomed Seth Row as its new litigation partner. Row joins the Stoel Rives team, departing from his former position at Miller Nash. Details of the transition were disclosed in a firm press release. With his extensive experience in business litigation, Row brings to…
In the wake of global supply strains and business disruptions, many corporations have streamlined their product offerings. Interestingly, even as supply chains start to recover, plenty of businesses are opting to keep their downsized offerings largely in place. This move reflects a strategic approach towards corporate efficiency with substantial implications for the legal landscape of…
Allen & Overy, one of London’s preeminent “Magic Circle” law firms, recently introduced an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tool called ContractMatrix, posing the potential for significant changes in legal practice convention. ContractMatrix is designed to enhance contract negotiation by saving time and costs for corporate in-house law departments while pushing revenues. The Financial Times reports on…
When served a subpoena, the first instinct of many corporations may be to comply fully and immediately. After all, it’s a legal document commanding the business to produce documents or evidence related to a lawsuit or investigation. However, as legal professionals, it’s essential to understand that a subpoena isn’t a magical mandate that immediately requires…
Trade secrets are paramount to maintaining a strategic business advantage, but the burgeoning field of Life Sciences is facing an increasing threat of misappropriation lawsuits. Seen in recent activities, Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC has gone to court under the auspice of the North Carolina Uniform Trade Secrets Act, citing that one of its previous federal accounts…
A recent lawsuit filed in the New York State Court alleges that leaders at Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), the premier legal search firm, ignored reported incidents of sexual assault. The allegations have emerged from the bankruptcy estate of Sharon Mahn, who formerly served as a recruiter for MLA. The firm had dismissed Mahn in…
The State of New York recently made amendments to its labor laws, specifically regarding employee inventions. With the newly instated Section 203-f in the Labor Law, any provisions in employment agreements that require employees to assign their inventions, which were developed entirely off company time and resources, to their employer, have been deemed unenforceable. This…
In an interesting development from the courts in June 2023, a federal judge based in the Northern District of Illinois refused to grant a temporary restraining order requested by Aon Corp. The injunction was sought against Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. and nine former employees of Aon. Aon Corp. had claimed that these individuals not only…
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is targeting non-compete clauses in the state of Ohio, in its ongoing effort to minimize the use of such restrictive agreements in employment contracts throughout the United States. Notably, the NLRB’s Cincinnati office recently filed an action against Juvly Aesthetics, a company involved in running medical clinics and spas….
The complexities of restrictive covenants, such as non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, are the subject of this week’s edition of Spilling Secrets, a podcast series focusing on the future of non-compete and trade secrets law. The ways in which these agreements are regulated vary from one country to another, creating significant challenges for multinational employers. In…
In a recent development, the Boston Beer Corporation has instituted a lawsuit in the Massachusetts state court against a former employee and his currently employer, Downeast Cider House LLC. Boston Beer contends that the defendants are illegally using its trade secrets, thereby engaging in unfair competition and rerouting business opportunities towards Downeast. They are seeking…
Womble Bond Dickinson, a law firm with a diverse array of legal capabilities has just acquired two key members to their team, Vanessa Hew and Gregory Gulia. Both Hew and Gulia are joining as partners in the trademarks, copyrights, and transactions practice group in the firm’s New York office. The significance of such an event…