In-House Connect: Understanding Whistleblower Immunity Under the Defend Trade Secrets Act
Nov
12
2024
Date: November 12, 2024
Time: 9:00AM (PST)
Location: Virtual
Mintz IP Member, Brad Scheller, and Co-Founder & CIPO of Tangibly, Christ Buntel, will delve into The Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) of 2016. This act introduced a significant legal avenue for trade secret owners, but it also contains a lesser-known provision - whistleblower immunity. This immunity allows individuals, including employees, to disclose trade secrets under specific conditions without liability, especially when reporting wrongdoing. These speakers will unpack the complexities of the law and provide insights into how whistleblower immunity has evolved since the inception of the DTSA.
Discussion topics include:
- Understanding the statutory language of the DTSA and its whistleblower provisions
- Eight years of case law interpreting whistleblower immunity and its applications
- A comparison of Federal immunity under the DTSA with state-level protections, including highlights from the Northern District of California’s Whistleblower Pilot Program
- Real-world hypotheticals testing the boundaries of whistleblower immunity
Speakers
Brad M. Scheller is an experienced patent litigator and strategic counselor to start-up ventures and established businesses in the mechanical and electrical arts, with a focus in EV and battery technologies and advising clients on patent portfolio growth, management and enforcement. He represents clients before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and as lead counsel in federal district court and appellate litigation across the country.
Chris Buntel
Tangibly Co-Founder and CIPO