4 Key Takeaways | Trade Secret Update 2024 Legal Developments and Trends
Examining the issue of trade secret misappropriation when parties have contractually limited their liability from breach, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reversed the district court’s dismissal of the case,...more
On April 4, 2025, the Eleventh Circuit reversed the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama’s ruling dismissing Alabama Aircraft Industries’ (“AAI”) trade secret misappropriation claim against Boeing, thereby...more
A federal court in Pennsylvania granted in part and denied in part a former franchisee’s motion to dismiss a franchisor’s allegation that she misappropriated trade secrets and breached the franchise agreement. JTH Tax, LLC v....more
The New York Knicks just sued their former employee and his new employer, the Toronto Raptors, in a case that can teach employers a lot about trade secret misappropriation. The August 21 lawsuit accuses their Eastern...more
The legal concept of “conflicts of laws” is difficult, to say the least, confounding even seasoned litigators and judges, with bulky treatises and entire law school classes devoted to the subject....more
At first blush, the recent lawsuit filed by a toy inventor against toy and game company, Hasbro, would seem to have little to do with the advertising industry. In fact, however, the decision by the Southern District of New...more
Trade Secret Case Unravels Unequal Fashion Partnership - Small designer Mrinalini accuses fashion giant Valentino of spying, stealing and worse. The Royal She - In high fashion, creative output is the whole game -...more
250ok, Inc. v. Message Sys., Inc., C.A. No. 2020-0588-JRS (Del. Ch. Jan. 22, 2021) - This decision clarifies the scope of preemption of common law claims under the Delaware Uniform Trade Secret Act (“DUTSA”). Plaintiff...more
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that, under Texas law, a plaintiff can sustain an action for trade secret misappropriation even if the plaintiff voluntarily communicated the alleged trade secrets to the...more
After a weeklong June trial, a Texas federal jury awarded Six Dimensions, Inc. (“Six Dimensions”), a digital marketing firm, $287,000 for its breach-of-contract claim against its former employee but rejected its behemoth $50...more
Switching from defense to offense, Zillow Group, Inc., best known for its residential real estate marketplace technology, recently filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington alleging a...more
A California federal jury recently decided that Emerson Electric Company owes prefabricated module manufacturer BladeRoom Group Limited $30 million in damages for stealing trade secrets to build a massive new data center. ...more
In a meaty decision involving the intersection of restrictive covenant and franchise law, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio recently denied a request by D.P. Dough Franchising, LLC (“D.P....more
Akzo Nobel Coatings Inc. v. The Dow Chemical Company, C.A. No. 8666-VCP (June 5, 2015) This is yet another decision declining to uphold a claim based on the covenant to deal in good faith and fairly....more
Seven years after entering into a separation agreement with one of its executives, Hallmark Cards, Inc. brought suit against the former employee, seeking a “full refund” of the $735,000 severance it paid her....more