Jones Day

Firm overview:

Jones Day deploys its vast global resources to assist clients with some of the most consequential trade secrets cases around the world, including a sizable docket in the largest market for the work—the US. The firm has end-to-end strength in handling such cases from prefiling investigation through trial, arbitration, and appeal.

The firm takes a cross-practice approach to litigation, which combines the capabilities of its IP lawyers with colleagues from the labour and employment, business litigation, appellate, cybersecurity, antitrust, and global disputes practices.

Clients rely on Jones Day to handle complex issues such as disputes arising from failed collaboration agreements and other business deals, employee mobility matters, cybersecurity attacks, data breaches, and claims of criminal theft.

Services also include prefiling investigations of IP theft, preparation of early readiness programmes for trade secret disputes, trade secret audits, counselling on trade secret protection, and handling technology transactions pertaining to shared confidential technical and business information. Attorneys offer thought leadership on global trade secrets issues via webinars, publications and presentations.

Team overview:

Chair of the firm’s global trade secrets team, California-based Randall (Randy) Kay has more than 30 years’ experience as a technology lawyer and an international reputation as a trade secrets tour de force.

Described by a peer as “one of the most knowledgeable trade secrets practitioners”, Kay coordinates a large, international team spanning the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia. “He is astute, professional, personable and very well versed in trade secret law and strategy,” a peer acknowledges, while another refers to him as a “top, top lawyer”.

Core members of Jones Day’s US trade secrets practice include Cleveland of counsel Calvin Griffith, who focuses his practice on IP litigation involving patents, trade secrets, and copyrights. A renowned litigator, Griffith has handled cases involving a wide range of technologies for clients including AbbVie, Canon, General Electric, Goodyear, and Johnson & Johnson.

Michael Oblon, based in Washington, DC, specialises in trade secret litigation and counselling for electronics and software companies. Oblon has led significant cross-border trade secrets litigations before the International Trade Commission and district courts, and draws on his background as an electrical engineer and former patent examiner to work on cases concerning complex technologies.

In San Francisco, Jennifer Bennett handles high-stakes trade secrets disputes in federal court and arbitration proceedings. With a science background, she handles matters involving all areas of technology ranging from software to healthcare.

Los Angeles-based partner Andrea Jeffries leads significant IP matters involving patents, trade secrets, and other forms of IP across a range of technologies, and has represented major pharmaceutical companies in high-stakes Hatch-Waxman, trade secret, and biotech matters.

Key matters:

• Coda Development et al v Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company et al

Jones Day secured a notable win for client Goodyear in a trade secrets case against Coda Development. In December 2025, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the ruling of a district court that granted judgment as a matter of law in favour of Goodyear.

Coda sued Goodyear in Ohio alleging trade secret misappropriation and raising claims for correction of inventorship of a patent, both relating to self-inflating tire technology. A jury found Goodyear had misappropriated Coda’s trade secrets and awarded over $60 million in damages.

Following a trial, the district court granted Goodyear’s motion for judgment as a matter of law, concluding that Coda’s secrets were not sufficiently definite, are not “secret”, not disclosed by Goodyear, and not conveyed by Coda to Goodyear. This decision was affirmed by the Federal Circuit.

• Danieli et al v SMS Group et al

Jones Day successfully represented SMS Group in a long-running trade secret case between global competitors in the steel industry. SMS was sued by its rival for alleged misappropriation of trade secrets.

In 2024, Jones Day won a complete defence victory at summary judgment for SMS, which also asserted counterclaims for unfair competition, tortious interference and abuse of process. These counterclaims were set for a jury trial in May 2025, but the matter was resolved during a judicial settlement conference in late April.

The case is Danieli, et al v SMS Group, et al, US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, 2:21-cv-1716.

• AbbVie v Adcentrx Therapeutics and Abbvie v BeiGene

Jones Day represents AbbVie in asserting claims for trade secret misappropriation under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) against the client’s former scientist and his new employer Adcentrx, a biotechnology company located in San Diego.

The case (AbbVie v Adcentrx Therapeutics et al, US District Court for the Southern District of California, 3-23-cv-02290) involves the former AbbVie employee’s alleged theft of AbbVie’s trade secrets relating to antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) used to fight certain types of cancer.

The firm is also representing AbbVie in asserting trade secrets misappropriation claims against a former scientist and his new employer, BeiGene, a pharmaceutical company based in China. The case involves the former employee’s alleged theft of AbbVie’s trade secrets relating to Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) degraders.

Clients:

AbbVie, Catcher Technology, Exokeryx, MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Qualcomm, SMS Group