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 Scheller is more than just a seasoned intellectual property litigator—he’s a strategic partner who thrives at the intersection of law, technology, and business. With a reputation for tackling complex trade secret and patent disputes, Brad brings a rare blend of technical insight and courtroom prowess, advocating for clients before judges and juries in United States district courts and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Chris Buntel
Tangibly Co-Founder and CIPO