Jenner & Block

Firm overview:

Chicago-based litigation firm Jenner & Block has deep experience in high-stakes IP disputes, including trade secrets and restrictive covenants matters. With offices in major US markets such as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Century City, and Washington, DC, the firm represents clients in complex disputes that require seasoned trial advocacy and strategic judgment. Trade secrets work is embedded within Jenner’s broader litigation practice, which also encompasses commercial and technology disputes where confidential information is central to the business conflict.

For more than 30 years, clients have relied on Jenner & Block to protect proprietary information and address restrictive covenant issues arising from employee mobility, licensing arrangements, and competitive pressures. The firm advises on practical protection measures, including internal investigations, employee training, and the development of effective confidentiality and non-disclosure frameworks. When disputes arise, Jenner’s litigators are experienced in securing urgent relief and carrying matters through trial, appeal, or negotiated resolution.

Jenner’s trade secrets team has played a role in several significant cases shaping modern trade secrets law, including securing substantial jury verdicts in misappropriation and unfair competition disputes. The practice also advises on risk management and enforcement strategies, particularly in matters involving cross-border considerations and complex technical evidence.

Team overview:

Debbie Berman co-chairs the firm’s Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants Practice. She is a first-chair trial lawyer with extensive experience handling complex disputes involving misappropriation of confidential information, unfair competition, and restrictive covenant issues for clients across technology, life sciences, and commercial sectors. Berman also works with boards and senior leadership on risk mitigation and internal policies to safeguard proprietary information. She has litigated high-profile matters and is the creator and co-author of Jenner & Block’s trade secrets practice guide.

Jason Bradford is a partner in Jenner & Block’s Business Litigation and Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants Practices. Based in Chicago, he represents clients in high-stakes trade secrets and commercial disputes, including federal and state litigation under the Defend Trade Secrets Act and related restrictive covenant claims. Bradford handles matters involving employee mobility, misappropriation, and injunctive relief, and also advises on emerging issues such as artificial intelligence and trade secret protection. He regularly speaks on trends in trade secret law and the intersection of evolving technology with confidential information safeguards.

A key member of the team is David Singer, who co-chairs the firm’s Antitrust and Competition Law Practice and Content, Media, and Entertainment Practice. Singer’s work highlights include securing a $130 million settlement on the first day of trial while co-leading the representation of News Corp subsidiary Move and the National Association of Realtors in a trade secrets lawsuit.

Key matters:

• United States of America v Huawei Technologies

In November 2024, Huawei asked a New York judge to dismiss a multitude of charges levelled at it by the US government, including trade secrets-related allegations the company said were “impermissibly duplicitous”. Huawei is represented by a team from Sidley Austin and Jenner & Block.

The case is now progressing towards a trial, scheduled for May 2026.

Clients:

Huawei