Committee Recap: Trade Secrets and Interferences with Contracts Committee
By Melissa Lauretti
In light of pending federal legislation and recent court rulings, the trade secrets field is dynamic and quickly-evolving. If you would like to remain abreast of developments in the trade secrets realm and actively participate in crafting policy and educational initiatives, consider joining the ABA-IPL Section’s Trade Secrets and Interferences with Contracts Committee.
Led by Chair Robert Milligan, a Partner in the Litigation and Labor & Employment Departments of Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Co-Chair of its Trade Secrets, Non-Compete and Computer Fraud Group, and Vice Chair Martin Chester, a Partner at Faegre Baker Daniels who specializes in complex business disputes, the Trade Secrets and Interferences with Contracts Committee focuses on legal and policy issues in the trade secrets, unfair interference with contractual rights, and unfair competition fields at the federal, state, and international levels. The Committee recently completed its 2013-2014 Annual Review of Trade Secret Cases, and this year’s publication includes hacking and data theft cases, in addition to international cases.
The Committee plans to meet every other month via conference call and intends to host at least three events, which may include in-person programs and webinars, in the coming year. All are welcome to join the committee and participate in its initiatives, including early-career lawyers and law students. In April, the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2014 was introduced in the United States Senate, and in July, the Trade Secrets Protection Act of 2014 was introduced in the United States House of Representatives. Accordingly, in addition to a formal resolution, the Committee would like to compose a white paper that analyzes and discusses empirical evidence supporting a federal civil cause of action for trade secret misappropriation and is looking for Committee members to lead this project.
To learn more about the Trade Secrets and Interferences with Contracts Committee or to join the Committee, please click here.
The Trade Secrets and Interferences with Contracts Committee meeting was covered by Melissa Lauretti, a 3L at the University of Connecticut School of Law in Hartford, Connecticut.