WIPR Insights presents its inaugural USA Trade Secrets Rankings for 2024, a comprehensive guide showcasing the leading law firms and lawyers at the forefront of trade secrets law in the United States.
This new ranking arrives at a pivotal juncture, as businesses grapple with a rapidly changing legal and technological environment that poses new challenges to safeguarding their most valuable confidential information.
The FTC's Proposed Non-Compete Ban: A Landmark Shift
The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) proposed ban on non-compete clauses for employees, finalised in April 2024, has sent ripples through the business world. This ambitious move aims to foster worker mobility and competition, but has faced strong opposition from business groups. The US Chamber of Commerce, leading a coalition of organisations, sued the FTC, arguing that the ban exceeds the agency's authority. While a Texas district court halted the ban in August 2024, the FTC's anticipated appeal keeps the issue at the forefront of trade secrets law. This legal battle underscores the heightened importance of trade secret protection for businesses seeking to maintain their competitive edge in an increasingly fluid labour market.
Emerging Challenges in Trade Secrets Protection
Several trends are reshaping the trade secret landscape, demanding greater vigilance from businesses and legal professionals:
- Employee Mobility: The rise of remote work and the gig economy has created a more fluid workforce, increasing the risk of trade secret misappropriation by departing employees. Companies need to bolster their protective measures, including robust employment agreements, clear confidentiality policies, and comprehensive employee training.
- Artificial Intelligence: The rapid adoption of AI, particularly large language models, introduces novel challenges in safeguarding trade secrets. Data fed into AI systems can be vulnerable to unintended disclosure or use in ways that compromise confidentiality. Legal strategies must adapt to address data security concerns and contractual safeguards in the AI era.
- International Operations: As businesses expand globally, navigating the diverse and evolving trade secret laws of different jurisdictions becomes crucial. Legal expertise in international trade secret protection is essential to ensure compliance and avoid costly missteps.
WIPR’s USA Trade Secrets Rankings will provide valuable insights for businesses seeking legal guidance in this complex and dynamic field. The rankings will assess law firms and lawyers on their expertise in key areas of trade secrets law, including litigation, counselling, and policy advocacy. The rankings will also consider their experience in high-stakes litigation, innovative approaches to protecting confidential information, and commitment to staying ahead of emerging challenges.
Hall of Fame
Victoria Cundiff
James Pooley
Outstanding
Randy Kay, Jones Day
Doug Lumish, Latham & Watkins
Jeff Pade, Paul Hastings
Michael de Vries, Kirkland & Ellis
Randy Kay, Jones Day
Doug Lumish, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Jeff Pade, Paul Hastings
Michael De Vries, Kirkland & Ellis
Highly Recommended
David Almeling, O’Melveny & Myers
Adam Alper, Kirkland & Ellis
Andrew Boutros, Shook Hardy & Bacon
Neel Chatterjee, Goodwin
Boyd Cloern, Steptoe
Daralyn Durie, Morrison Foerster
Charles (Tait) Graves, Wilson Sonsini
Michael Jacobs, Morrison Foerster
Seth Gerber, Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Mark Klapow, Crowell & Moring
Robert Milligan, Seyfarth Shaw
Joseph Raffetto, Hogan Lovells
Michael Wexler, Seyfarth Shaw
David Almeling, O’Melveny & Myers
Adam Alper, Kirkland & Ellis
Andrew Bramhall, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Amy Candido, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Neel Chatterjee, King & Spalding
Boyd Cloern, Steptoe
Daralyn Durie, Morrison & Foerster
Charles (Tait) Graves, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Seth Gerber, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Mark Klapow, Crowell & Moring
Sharre Lotfollahi, Kirkland & Ellis
Joseph Raffetto, Hogan Lovells
Anthony Sammi, Latham & Watkins
Bijal V. Vakil, Skadden Arps Meagher Slate & Flom
Michael Wexler, Seyfarth Shaw
Daniel Zaheer, Kobre & Kim
Recommended
Russell Beck, Beck Reed Riden
Yar Chaikovsky, White & Case
Amy H Candido, Wilson Sonsini
Diane Danoff, Dechert
David Elkins, Squire Patton Boggs
Barbara Fiacco, Foley Hoag
Benjamin Fink, Berman Fink Van Horn
James Gale, Cozen O’Connor
Nicole Galli, ND Galli Law Firm
Adam Gershenson, Cooley
John Gray, Perkins Coie
Jordan Grotzinger, Greenberg Traurig
Randall Kahnke, Faegre Drinker
David Kelley, O’Melveny & Myers
Sharre Lotfollahi, Kirkland & Ellis
Lauren Linderman, Faegre Drinker
Mindy Morton, Procopio
Dean Pelletier, Pelletier Law Firm
Katherine Perrelli, Seyfarth Shaw
David Singer, Jenner & Block
Joshua Simmons, Kirkland & Ellis
Michael Songer, White & Case
Darin Snyder, O’Melveny & Myers
Erik Weibust,Epstein Becker Green
Michael Weil, Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Patricia Young, Latham & Watkins
Russell Beck, Beck Reed Riden
Yar Chaikovsky, White & Case
Joshua Dalton, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
David Elkins, Squire Patton Boggs
Barbara Fiacco, Foley Hoag
Benjamin Fink, Berman Fink Van Horn
James Gale, Cozen O’Connor
Nicole Galli, ND Galli Law
Adam Gershenson, Weil Gotshal & Manges
John Gray, Perkins Coie
Jordan Grotzinger, Greenberg Traurig
Randall Kahnke, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath
David Kelley, O’Melveny & Myers
Joshua Lerner, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Lauren Linderman, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath
Carolyn Hoecker Luedtke, Munger, Tolles & Olson
Marcus Mintz, Seyfarth Shaw
Mindy Morton, Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch
Michael Ng, Kobre & Kim
Dean Pelletier, Pelletier Law Firm
David Singer, Jenner & Block
Joshua Simmons, Kirkland & Ellis
Michael Songer, White & Case
Darin Snyder, O’Melveny & Myers
Peter Steinmeyer, Epstein Becker Green
Kathi Vidal, Winston & Strawn
Erik Weibust, Epstein Becker Green
Michael Weil, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Dylan Wiseman, Buchalter
Patricia Young, Latham & Watkins
Notable
Anthony Ashley, Vedder Price
Greg Bombard, Greenberg Traurig
Scott Davis, Klarquist
Stephen Fishbein, A&O Shearman
Jason Jardine, Knobbe Martens
Chris LaVigne, A&O Shearman
Andrew LeGolvan, White & Case
Ron Lemieux, Squire Patton Boggs
John Marsh, Bailey Cavalieri
John Nathanson, A&O Shearman
Michael Ng, Kobre & Kim
Phillip Ou, White & Case
Mark Whitaker, Morrison Forester
Dylan Wiseman, Buchalter
Thomas Yeh, Latham & Watkins
Anthony Ashley, Vedder Price
Benjamin Herbert, Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch
Scott Humphrey, Benesch
Greg Bombard, Greenberg Traurig
Scott Davis, Klarquist Sparkman
Stephen Fishbein, A&O Shearman
Jason Jardine, Knobbe Martens
Chris LaVigne, A&O Shearman
Andrew LeGolvan, White & Case
Ron Lemieux, Squire Patton Boggs
William O’Neil, Winston & Strawn
Leah Quadrino, Steptoe
Ian Ross, Sidley Austin
