2 min read

Detroit’s Clark Hill expands in Philly with the latest law firm merger

Feb 1 (Reuters) – US law firm Clark Hill said Wednesday it has combined with Philadelphia-based litigation firm Conrad O’Brien, marking the latest tie-up in an already-busy year for law firm mergers. The move will add 18 litigators to Clark Hill’s Philadelphia office. It is the second Philadelphia merger so far this year for Detroit-founded Clark Hill, which last month absorbed Larsson & Scheuritzel, a small real estate law firm. Clark Hill said it has doubled the size of its Philadelphia office since the start of 2023. In a joint interview, Nicholas Centrella, the former managing partner of Conrad O’Brien,…
2 min read

Apple says patent owner, law firm revealed settlement secrets in Google trial

By Blake Brittain (Reuters) – Apple Inc on Wednesday accused patent owner Arendi SARL of disclosing secret information about a settlement agreement between them, including how much Apple paid, during Arendi’s separate infringement trial against Alphabet’s Google LLC. Apple asked a Delaware federal judge to impose monetary sanctions against Arendi and its law firm Susman Godfrey one day after Google defeated Arendi’s $45.5 million lawsuit at the trial, which did not involve Apple. Arendi’s attorneys and representatives for Apple and Susman Godfrey did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday. Arendi has sued several tech companies over their patents,…
1 min read

Spilling Secrets Podcast: Inside the Most Famous Trade Secrets Case of All Time

Now on Spilling Secrets, our podcast series on the future of non-compete and trade secret law: The inevitable disclosure doctrine, expected to be a widely used tool to protect trade secrets after the famous PepsiCo, Inc. v. Redmond case in 1995, has not been as commonly employed as anticipated. But is the legal landscape about to change? Epstein Becker Green’s all-star panel of attorneys – Peter A. Steinmeyer, Katherine G. Rigby, A. Millie Warner, and special guest James J. Oh – delve into the most famous trade secrets case of all time. * * * Tune in to Spilling Secrets,…
6 min read

Restrictive Covenants in the First Circuit

To continue our series on trade secret employee contract clauses, we’ve surveyed the First Circuit for updates to the law relating to restrictive covenants. Such covenants remain predominantly governed by statutes in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, while Puerto Rico continues to govern them by common law. And with no significant updates since 2020, restrictive covenants remain disfavored and under increased scrutiny in the First Circuit. Generally, these courts will only enforce noncompete agreements that are reasonable, no broader than necessary to protect an employer’s legitimate business interests, properly noticed, and in line with public policy. The applicable…
3 min read

Trade Secrets Food Fight Spotlights Importance of Comprehensive Agreements

A judge in the Northern District of Texas recently declined to dismiss a lawsuit, CiCi Enterprises LP et al. v. Mucho Pizza, LLC et al., alleging a pizza franchisee failed to maintain the confidentiality of Texas pizza chain CiCi Enterprises LP’s trade secrets after two affiliates inked a development deal with competitor, Papa John’s. This case highlights the importance of comprehensive agreements and the reduction of agreement modifications to writing. Beginning in 2010, CiCi Enterprises[1] and Mucho Pizza, LLC[2] entered into 17 franchise agreements, which provided Mucho Pizza access to CiCi Enterprises’ trade secrets and other confidential information, including confidential…