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Protecting Your Trade Secrets in Today’s Global Economy: Session 3 - Can You Keep a Secret? Protecting Your Trade Secrets in the UK and EU

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Morrison Foerster is pleased to invite you to attend the final session of our three-part series discussing the strategies and remedies that are available in the United States, Europe, and Asia for protecting against international trade secret theft.

Morrison Foerster is pleased to invite you to attend the final session of our three-part series discussing the strategies and remedies that are available in the United States, Europe, and Asia for protecting against international trade secret theft.Session 3: Can You Keep a Secret? Protecting Your Trade Secrets in the UK and EUWhen is confidential information also a trade secret? What difference does it make, and when will it matter? This session will assess the landscape of trade secrets in the UK and Germany and compare and contrast how to protect and enforce trade secrets against global threats. It will address what constitutes a trade secret under German and English law, as well as best practices in how to protect and enforce them in an international setting.Our panelists will discuss: • The impact of the EU Trade Secrets Directive in Germany and the UK;• The interaction between trade secrets, whistleblowing and reverse-engineering; and• Practical considerations around protection and enforcement.The session will be presented by accomplished MoFo litigators with a depth of experience navigating trade secret laws in various forums and across borders. • Steven James (Partner, London)• Dr. Wolfgang Schönig (Partner, Berlin)• Ruth Arkley (Of Counsel, London)<hr>

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Steven James is a Partner based in the London office of Morrison Foerster. He specialises in intellectual property disputes, and advises on the protection and exploitation of intellectual property, as well as a wide range of commercial matters.Steven practices in intellectual property, technology, and commercial law, with a focus on new technologies and innovation. His experience includes advising clients on both contentious and transactional intellectual property and commercial matters, predominantly in the tech, financial services, life sciences, retail and luxury goods, food & beverage, and media sectors. He advises on the full spectrum of IP rights, including trade marks, passing off, copyright, designs, patents and confidential information. Steven counsels clients on the development of IP and branding strategies and formulates strategic approaches for the licensing and enforcement of intellectual property rights. He also has experience of advising on commercial disputes, defamation and data protection matters.Steven has been recommended for Intellectual Property law and Technology, Media & Telecommunications Law multiple times over many years in the Legal 500 UK. He is described by clients as “an efficient, effective and an excellent, timely communicator … always on hand to provide confident and practical advice. His deep and technical knowledge of IP is unparalleled”. Steven has also been named a Trade Mark Star by Managing Intellectual Property and as a recommended individual by IAM Patent 1000.He has been awarded a Distinction in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Oxford. Steven has conducted matters before the U.K. Intellectual Property Office, the EU Intellectual Property Office, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, the High Court and Court of Appeal, and the Court of Justice of the European Union. Steven is a Solicitor-Advocate with rights of audience in all civil proceedings in the higher courts of England and Wales.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>Representing Wirex Limited, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency platforms, in its successful trade mark infringement claim and damages inquiry against Cryptocarbon Global Ltd & Others (Wirex Limited v. Cryptocarbon Global Ltd & Others ([2021] EWHC 617 (IPEC) and [2022] EWHC 1161).</li><li>Novaerus Patents Limited v Quest International (UK) Limited [2016] EWHC 95 (Ch): Represented medical technology provider Novaerus in a summary judgment claim in a complex contractual dispute about the sale of various patents and subsequent cross-licensing.</li><li>Advising World-Leading COVID Rapid Test Provider Excalibur Healthcare Services on a ground-breaking Licence and Development Agreement with Sensyne Health in respect of the use of Excalibur’s lateral flow diagnostic tests with Sensyne Health’s clinical AI software, ‘MagnifEye’.</li><li>Acting for an electrical wholesaler in relation to a passing off claim against a nationwide chain. </li><li>Acting for a software development company on a High Court Technology & Construction Court dispute with a global retail bank.</li><li>Acting for the acquirers of the iconic Crombie coat brand, and advising on its global IP portfolio.</li><li>Acting for an electrical wholesaler on a passing off action against a listed building merchants’ business.</li><li>Acting for an online fashion retail platform in respect of parallel trade mark infringement proceedings in the U.K. and United States.</li><li>Interflora Inc v Marks & Spencer plc (Case C-323/09): Acting for Interflora on a high profile trade mark infringement case relating to the use of keywords on Google’s AdWords program, which was referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union.</li><li>Orion Publishing Group Ltd v Novel Entertainment Ltd [2012] EWHC 1951 (Ch): Acting for a major commercial publisher in relation to a dispute over a royalty verification clause in a publishing agreement.</li></ul>

Steven James

Partner

Wolfgang advises clients on contentious and non-contentious matters involving their most valuable intellectual property assets in life sciences, digital, and high-tech industries.His subjects of focus include research and development collaborations, complex licensing agreements, and other technology transactions, as well as know-how protection strategies, and employee invention law. He also has substantial experience in litigating patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property assets, often in a multijurisdictional context. In addition, Wolfgang and his team frequently clear trademarks and ad campaigns and prosecute trademark applications.Wolfgang is co-editor of our <a href="https://lifesciences.mofo.com/" dir="ltr" target="_blank">MoFo Life Sciences Blog</a>.Wolfgang is a partner of Morrison Foerster based in our German office in Berlin.<h4 dir="ltr">Representative Transactional Matters</h4><ul dir="ltr"><li>U.S.-based BioTech fund on various research collaborations and other transactions with German start-ups or research institutions.</li><li>Negotiate multimillion-euro strategic partnership between two AgTech leaders concerning the development and commercialization of pest-resistant transgenic traits.</li><li>Craft global multi-million collaboration regarding AI-powered robotic MaaS.</li><li>UK-based digital health company on product roll-out of RPM applications in Germany; coordinate international expansion.</li><li>Advise numerous German start-ups on their U.S. expansion.</li><li>Draft diverse global patent and know-how license agreements in the areas of AgTech and life sciences—including gene licensing and licensing of genome editing technologies (e.g., CRISPR)—and medical devices; draft correlating supply and distribution agreements.</li><li>Structure IP rights in connection with joint ventures and other M&A transactions, including the carve-out of a patent-heavy semiconductor business comprising nine jurisdictions into a German–U.S. joint venture.</li><li dir="ltr">Advise on government-funded, multi-partner R&D projects and/or R&D projects with academic institutions, as well as on employee invention law.</li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Representative Contentious IP Matters</h4><ul dir="ltr"><li>Lead counsel in an international dispute between software companies on rights and obligations following termination of a multi-million licensing and distribution arrangement; coordinate local counsel.</li><li>Defend Japanese chip manufacturer in high-profile SEP-litigation; advise on global settlement arrangement.</li><li>Represent leading internet retailer in patent infringement and concurrent invalidity proceedings in the context of a multijurisdictional dispute concerning touch-screen technology.</li><li>Represent diverse pharmaceutical and life sciences companies in national and cross-border patent infringement proceedings and other technology-related disputes, including preliminary injunctions as well as pre‑trial discovery and inspection proceedings, concerning, inter alia, drug-coating technologies, toner cartridges, medicinal gases, transgenic plants, and vaccines.</li><li dir="ltr">Conduct trademark, copyright, and false advertising litigation, including, most notably, a high-profile trademark litigation for a German bank, and a nine-country cross-border trademark litigation involving a famous pharmaceutical brand.</li></ul>

Dr. Wolfgang Schönig berät Mandanten zum Schutz des geistigen Eigentums sowohl in streitigen als auch nichtstreitigen Angelegenheiten, mit einem besonderen Fokus auf die IP-rechtliche Beratung von Unternehmen aus den Bereichen Life Sciences, Digitalwirtschaft und High-Tech.Zu seinen Beratungsschwerpunkten gehören Forschungs- und Entwicklungskooperationen, komplexe Lizenzvertragsgestaltungen und andereTechnologie-Transaktionen, sowie Know-how-Schutz-Strategien und das Arbeitnehmererfinderrecht. Er verfügt zudem über umfangreiche Prozesserfahrung zur Durchsetzung von Patenten, Marken- und anderen IP-Rechten, häufig auch in einem grenzüberschreitenden Kontext. Darüber hinaus bewertet Dr. Wolfgang Schönig zusammen mit seinem Team regelmäßig die Rechtskonformität von Werbekampagnen, prüft die Verfügbarkeit von Marken und entwickelt entsprechende Anmeldestrategien.Dr. Wolfgang Schönig ist Co-Editor des Life Sciences Blogs von Morrison Foerster.Er hat seinen Doktortitel an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf und seinen LL.M. an der Fordham School of Law in New York erworben, jeweils mit Schwerpunkt im gewerblichen Rechtsschutz. Seinen MBA-Abschluss erhielt er von der European University in Barcelona.Dr. Wolfgang Schönig ist Partner des deutschen Büros von Morrison Foerster in Berlin.<h4 dir="ltr">Repräsentative Transaktionen</h4><ul><li dir="ltr">BioTech-Fonds mit Sitz in den USA bei verschiedenen Forschungskooperationen und anderen Transaktionen mit deutschen Start-ups oder Forschungseinrichtungen</li><li dir="ltr">Verhandlung einer hochvolumigen strategischen Partnerschaft zwischen zwei Technologieführern im Bereich Crop Science betreffend der Entwicklung und Kommerzialisierung von bestimmten Resistenzen</li><li dir="ltr">Gestaltung einer globalen Multi-Millionen-Zusammenarbeit für KI-gestützte Roboter</li><li dir="ltr">Ein in Großbritannien ansässiges Unternehmen für digitale Gesundheit bei der Markteinführung von RPM-Anwendungen in Deutschland; Koordination der internationalen Expansion</li><li dir="ltr">Beratung zahlreicher deutscher Start-ups bei deren US-Expansion</li><li dir="ltr">Strukturierung und Verhandlung diverser Patent- und Know-How-Lizenzen in den Bereichen Ag Tech und Life Sciences – einschließlich Fragen zu genome editing wie CRISPR-Medizingeräte, sowie Gestaltung von Softwarelizenzverträgen und Erstellung korrespondierender Liefer- und Vertriebsvereinbarungen</li><li dir="ltr">Strukturierung von IP-Rechten im Zusammenhang mit Joint Ventures und anderen M&A-Transaktionen, darunter die Koordination eines neun Länder umfassenden IP Carve-Outs im Rahmen eines Halbleiter-JVs</li><li dir="ltr">Beratung zu staatlich geförderten Multi-Partner F&E-Projekten und/oder F&E-Projekten mit akademischen Einrichtungen sowie zum Arbeitnehmererfindungsrecht</li></ul><h4 dir="ltr">Repräsentative IP-Streitigkeiten</h4><ul><li dir="ltr">Lead Counsel in einem internationalen Rechtsstreit zwischen Softwareunternehmen über Rechte und Pflichten nach Beendigung einer millionenschweren Lizenz- und Vertriebsvereinbarung; Koordinierung der lokalen Anwälte</li><li dir="ltr">Verteidigung eines japanischen Chipherstellers in einem prominenten Streitfall bezüglich Standardessentieller Patente (SEP); Beratung zu einer globalen Vergleichsregelung</li><li dir="ltr">Verteidigung einer führenden Internetplattform gegen Ansprüche eines Patenttrolls wegen vermeintlicher Verletzung von Patent bezüglich Touchscreen-Technologie sowie korrespondierende US-Streitigkeiten</li><li dir="ltr">Vertretung von Pharma- und Life Science-Unternehmen in nationalen und grenzüberschreitenden Patentverletzungsverfahren und anderen technologiebezogenen Streitigkeiten, einschließlich einstweiliger Verfügungsverfahren und vorprozessualer Beweissicherungs- und Besichtigungsverfahren, unter anderem in Bezug auf Arzneimittelbeschichtungstechnologien, Tonerkartuschen, medizinische Gase, transgene Pflanzen und Impfstoffe</li></ul>

Wolfgang Schönig

Ruth Arkley is Of Counsel based in the London office of Morrison Foerster and is a member of the Intellectual Property Group.Ruth practices in intellectual property, technology and commercial law, with a focus on innovative technologies and data protection. She advises clients on transactional, contentious and regulatory matters across a range of industries including life sciences, technology, retail, luxury brands and the creative sectors. Ruth’s experience includes advising in respect of the protection and enforcement of all major IP rights including copyright, trade marks and passing off, designs, patents, confidential information and domain names. She also helps clients to develop IP portfolios and to monetise their rights by way of strategic licensing.Ruth is listed in the Legal 500 as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for Intellectual Property: Trade Marks, Copyright and Design, and as a ‘Notable Practitioner’ in Managing IP’s IP Stars. She teaches on the ‘IP Transactions: Law and Practice’ course at University College London. Ruth studied Law at Clare College, University of Cambridge and was awarded a Diploma in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Oxford. Before joining Morrison Foerster, Ruth was a partner at Brown Rudnick. She trained at Latham & Watkins.Ruth is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>Advising World-Leading COVID Rapid Test Provider Excalibur Healthcare Services on a ground-breaking Licence and Development Agreement with Sensyne Health in respect of the use of Excalibur’s lateral flow diagnostic tests with Sensyne Health’s clinical AI software, ‘MagnifEye’.</li><li>Acting for an international drug development company on a High Court breach of confidence action against an employee.</li><li>Novaerus Patents Limited v Quest International (UK) Limited [2016] EWHC 95 (Ch): Represented medical technology provider Novaerus Patents Limited in a complex contractual dispute about the sale of various patents and subsequent cross-licensing.</li><li>Acting for a software development company on a High Court Technology & Construction Court dispute with a global retail bank.</li><li>Acting for an electrical wholesaler on a passing off action against a listed building merchant’s business.</li><li>Leading a European cookie audit and compliance project for a FTSE 100 consumer goods company, coordinating legal and technical teams over 15 jurisdictions.</li><li>Supporting a NYSE-listed biopharmaceutical company in complying with U.K. and European consumer protection and advertising law.</li><li>Regularly drafting and advising on the terms and conditions, privacy policies and end user licence agreements for websites and apps.</li></ul>

Protecting Your Trade Secrets in Today’s Global Economy: Session 3 - Can You Keep a Secret? Protecting Your Trade Secrets in the UK and EU

08 Mar 2023 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM GMT