DLA Piper

Firm overview:

The trade secrets team at global full-service firm DLA Piper is experienced in fast-paced injunctions and temporary restraining orders, expedited discovery and dispositive motions, trial, and appellate practice internationally.

In the US, where peers rate the firm’s abilities highly, DLA Piper represents plaintiffs and defendants in US state and federal courts, arbitrations, and including before the International Trade Commission. Country teams collaborate with colleagues worldwide to resolve cross-border and multi-jurisdictional matters.

The trade secrets team also works with other practices across the firm—including Data Security, Compliance, e-Discovery, Employment Mobility, Patent Litigation, Copyright, Trademark, and Media.

The firm has set up a Trade Secrets Scorebox, a client assessment tool based on EU law to help businesses assess the maturity of their trade secrets protection strategy. After the initial assessment, the firm’s lawyers provide an overview of an action plan to improve, maintain and monitor the clients’ trade secrets strategy.

Team overview:

DLA Piper leverages a global roster of lawyers across the US, Europe and Asia. The global leaders of DLA Piper’s trade secrets team include first-chair trial lawyer Paul Steadman in Chicago, IP litigator Roberto Valenti in Milan, and Edward Chatterton, co-head of IPT, Asia, in Hong Kong.

Valenti and Philadelphia-based transactional lawyer Ray Miller, US chair, Life Sciences Patent Development & Strategy, hosted “Trade secrets protection in the life science sector”, an episode in the firm’s podcast series At the Intersection of Science and Law. The episode discussed trade secrets protection in the US and Europe, and within the life sciences sector, aimed at pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers.

Key matters:

• LifeScience Technologies v Mercy Health, et al

DLA Piper acted for software developers Myia Labs, a defendant with healthcare provider Mercy Health in a trade secrets misappropriation dispute with software company Life Science Technologies. The dispute centred on m.Care, a virtual care platform developed by LST, that connects hospital-based teams with home-based patients.

• DLA Piper obtained a summary judgment victory for a global pharmaceutical company against trade secret claims related to three highly successful medical device product lines, with eight-figure damages claimed and a permanent injunction sought.
• DLA Piper defended an international cryptocurrency company against a $100 million claim for trade secrets misappropriation and other business torts related to its Asia-Pacific business plan.

Clients:

BuildingConnected, Myia Labs; a global pharmaceutical company; a food manufacturing company; an international cryptocurrency; a multinational chemicals and manufacturing company; a technology company.