Episode 9: How to get busted stealing a business and lose $96M in court

In this Episode of Reasonable Measures, Chris Buntel and Tim Londergan discuss the recent legal case of Prysmian v. Sterlite, where an executive packaged up a business and walked across the street. This is a fascinating if not all-too-familiar tale of corporate theft. The discussion highlights the evolving understanding of trade secrets in the context of international business and the importance of proper documentation and confidentiality practices.

Episode 10: Trade Secret Damages are Calculated Globally

Motorola Solutions v. Hyterra Communications sets a nice precedent. In this episode of Reasonable Measures, Tim and Chris discuss the significant legal case involving Motorola Solutions and Hyterra, focusing on trade secret misappropriation and copyright infringement. They explore the background of the case, the evidence of misconduct, the appeal process, and the implications of the court’s decisions on damages and permanent injunctions. The conversation highlights the complexities of international law and jurisdiction in trade secret cases, emphasizing the importance of protecting intellectual property in a global context.

Episode 8: Appian’s $2b Trade Secret Win Goes “Poof”

In this episode, Tim and Chris discuss the reversal and remand of the Appian Pegasystems case, which involved a $2 billion damages award. The original case gained attention for its massive damage award and the systematic theft of trade secrets by Pegasystems. The reversal and remand were based on issues of evidence and causation, with the damages calculation not accurately connecting to the trade secrets. The case is still ongoing, with an appeal of the appeal and the possibility of a new trial. The episode also mentions the use of insurance policies to protect against damages and the potential for refiling the case under the DTSA.

Episode 7: Record Breaking Judgement in Trade Secret Case

In this episode, Tim and Chris discuss a recent trade secret misappropriation case in China, which resulted in a record-breaking judgment of 640 million RMB (about 88 million USD). They highlight the significance of this case in recognizing the value of trade secrets and protecting companies from misappropriation. The case involved a wholesale movement of 40 employees from one Chinese electric vehicle company to another, resulting in the filing of 12 patent applications by the new company. The court considered factors such as the quick release of products and the publication of patents to establish the misappropriation of trade secrets. The discussion also touches on the challenges of enforcing judgments and the evolving legal landscape in China.

Episode 6: The Professor Owes His Students $26.6M

Imagine suing your former graduate students for stealing trade secrets to the tune of $849M in damages, but losing the case and having to pay them $26.6M. SigmaPharm Laboratories v. ex-employees is a highly unusual case that touches on a wide range of issues from promises of start-up equity to employees leaving to work on similar technologies. You won’t find many cases with these fact patterns!

Additional reading:
https://www.proskauerontradesecrets.com/2024/05/employee-mobility-and-trade-secrets-in-the-golden-era-of-life-sciences-innovation/

https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/2024/05/06/group-of-fired-scientists-win-26-6m-bucks-county-verdict-on-counterclaims-against-ex-employer/

Episode 5: A Trade Secret Love Triangle – Boeing owes Zunum $72M

Zunum thought they had the perfect partner. Boeing cheated and left them at the alter.

Tim & Chris pick apart the recent Zunum decision where they were awarded $81.2 million total on the trade secrets misappropriation claims and an additional $11.6 for tortious interference. The jury also found that Zunum failed to mitigate about $20.8 million in damages, however, reducing the total award to about $72 million.

Here’s the case on Google Scholar:
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?scidkt=984552710791829331&as_sdt=2&hl=en

Further Reading:

https://www.iam-media.com/trade-secrets/article/partners-rivals-collaboration-contamination-perils-in-zunum-v-boeing

https://irwinip.com/2024/06/the-pitfalls-of-proprietary-information-boeing-hit-with-72m-trade-secrets-verdict/

Episode 4: Samsung BOE trade secret case at the ITC

Tim and Chris discuss how trade secret owners can use the ITC (International Trade Commission) as a way to block goods from being imported into the USA. This is an interesting, and very different, alternative to traditional lawsuits in state or federal court.

Episode 1: All Roads Lead To India

Tim and Chris talk about Plintron Technologies trade secret misappropriation case against some former executives, and Chris’s recent trip to India to spend time with our investor and partner Wipro and their legal services team.

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