Ropes & Gray
Firm overview:
Ropes & Gray is widely recognised by peers for the strength of its litigation capabilities and its sophisticated approach to trade secrets protection. The firm advises clients across the entire lifecycle of proprietary assets, supporting the development, safeguarding and enforcement of critical technologies, processes, systems and products that underpin core business operations.
The practice has amassed substantial experience, with its lawyers collectively handling more than 100 trade secrets investigations. Ropes & Gray has been at the leading edge of the discipline, including being among the first US firms to obtain an ex parte seizure order under the statute’s distinctive enforcement mechanisms. Work highlights include securing a favourable settlement on behalf of medtech companies Exactech and XpandOrtho in multi-claim litigation against Zimmer Biomet, involving allegations of trade secrets misappropriation, unfair competition, copyright infringement and breach of contract.
Trade secrets matters at the firm are supported by a broad, integrated platform. The practice regularly draws on expertise from across the IP, labour and employment, government enforcement, commercial litigation, data privacy and cyber security, and e-discovery teams, enabling Ropes & Gray to manage complex disputes that span regulatory, employment and technology-related risk.
Team overview:
The firm’s Trademark, Copyright, False Advertising and Trade Secret Practice is led from Washington, DC by Peter Brody. With more than 35 years of experience in IP litigation, Brody has handled a wide range of trade secrets disputes and is regarded as a leading voice in the field.
In Boston, employment partner Greg Demers plays a central role in trade secrets matters with an employment dimension. He regularly advises and represents employers in complex disputes involving restrictive covenants and alleged misappropriation, alongside related wage and hour, ERISA class actions, discrimination claims, whistleblower matters and senior executive litigation.
Former chair of the IP litigation practice Steven Pepe left the firm in September 2025 to join Sheppard Mullin, along with four other partners, and 16 counsel and associates.
Key matters:
- Euna Solutions: Trade secret litigation
Euna sued two former executives and their current employer in Illinois, alleging misappropriation of trade secrets and solicitation of customers and employees, among other claims. On behalf of Euna, Ropes & Gray has filed motions for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to protect the client’s trade secrets and customer and employee relationships.
Ropes & Gray’s team is Greg Demers (partner, Boston), Jen Cormier (counsel, Boston), Timothy Farrell (partner, Chicago) and Jeffrey Bushofsky (partner, Chicago).
- Capstone Logistics litigation
Ropes & Gray is representing Capstone Logistics in a suit against five former executives and their new employer. These executives agreed to non-competition, employee non-solicitation, and customer non-solicitation covenants in exchange for compensation—including, in one case, in connection with the purchase of Load Delivered Logistics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capstone.
The suit seeks damages against the executives and their new employer, who have engaged in a campaign to target Capstone’s customers in breach of their contractual obligations, according to Ropes & Gray. The proposed settlement will bind the defendants to abide by their covenants moving forward.
Leading the team for Ropes & Gray are Greg Demers (partner, Boston) and Nicholas Berg (partner, Chicago).
Clients:
Capstone Logistics, Euna Solutions
