Nicholas is a litigator who combines practical advice with deep experience to deliver results for his clients who find themselves the target of a lawsuit, or require the assistance of the courts to resolve a dispute. Nicholas represents clients in federal and state court, and at the International Trade Commission, where his practice covers all aspects of IP litigation with a focus on cases concerning allegations of trade secret misappropriation. Nicholas has delivered results for clients in a variety of technology areas, including network devices, semiconductors, consumer electronics, medical devices, and manufacturing devices.
Nicholas brings robust courtroom experience to litigating trade secret and other matters. Aside from the trial work he has done for his clients at Mintz, while a Special Assistant District Attorney in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, Nicholas prosecuted over 150 criminal matters, trying well over a dozen jury and bench trials. Prior to joining Mintz, Nick worked for Hon. Ralph D. Gants, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and Hon. Patti B. Saris, Chief Judge of the US District Court, District of Massachusetts.
Education
- Northeastern University (JD)
- Williams College (BA)
Recent Insights
Viewpoints
Fact-Specific Inquiry: Deciding Between Trade Secret and Patent Protection
September 15, 2020 |Blog
Rules of Engagement: Minimizing Trade Secret Disputes when Hiring Rival Employees
September 10, 2020 |Blog
Playing Fair: Protect Trade Secrets from Business Partners
September 8, 2020 |Blog
News & Press
Law360 covered developments in a trade secret lawsuit involving X-ray tubes brought on by Mintz client Philips Medical Systems, Inc. against Chinese companies Kunshan GuoLi Electronic Technology Co. Ltd. and its subsidiary, Kunshan Yiyuan Medical Technology Co. Ltd.
A front page story in Bloomberg Law included commentary from Mintz Associate Nicholas Armington on an increased threat of trade secret theft as the coronavirus pandemic necessitates telework and drives layoffs.
Events
In this session, Mintz attorneys, Adam Samansky and Nick Armington will discuss the impending increase in trade secret litigation triggered by the current economic downturn and the sudden increase in work-from-home arrangements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The impending increase in trade secret litigation triggered by the current economic downturn and the sudden increase in work-from-home arrangements due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be discussed.
Mike Renaud and Nick Armington will be presenting a webinar on trade secret litigation including the scope of what qualifies as a trade secret under the Defend Trade Secrets Act and state trade secret statutes.
Viewpoints
The “Perfect Storm”: COVID-19 and Trade Secret Litigation
June 29, 2020 | Video | By Nicholas Armington
In the first of a series of videos discussing developments in trade secret litigation, Mintz’s Nick Armington explains why the volume of trade secret litigation in state and federal courts is expected to greatly increase over the next five years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more
Arbitration of IP Disputes in a Post-COVID-19 World
June 2, 2020 | Blog | By Matthew Hurley, Michael Renaud, Nicholas Armington
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused individuals and companies alike to face the reality of a rapid economic downturn followed by a potentially slow recovery characterized by continued economic challenges.
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Steps Your Company Should Consider Now to Protect Value with a Wave of Trade Secret Litigation on the Horizon Due to COVID-19 Pandemic, Economic Downturn, and Jobless Claims
April 17, 2020 | Blog | By Michael Renaud, Nicholas Armington
The coronavirus pandemic has created profound changes to how many Americans do their work, with an outsized number now working from home. This arrangement, while necessary given social distancing requirements and the stay-at-home advisories in many states, has created a marked increase to the threat of trade secret misappropriation.
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Federal Judge Confirms that Federal Trade Secret Statute Applies to Misappropriation that Occurs Overseas
March 11, 2020 | Blog | By Michael Renaud, Nicholas Armington
Earlier this month, a Northern District of Illinois jury returned a verdict in favor of Motorola for over $700 million after a trial in which Motorola alleged that Hytera hired three engineers away from Motorola’s Malaysian office, and that those engineers stole and brought with them thousands of Motorola’s trade secret technical documents that Hytera used to develop a state-of-the-art digital radio that was functionally indistinguishable from Motorola’s.
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Mintz Rings in 2020 with Top 10 Recognition for ITC Practice
January 6, 2020 | Blog
Mintz is recognized as among the top ten firms in ITC Section 337 litigation by Patexia in its inaugural "ITC Intelligence Report". We are pleased to be among the firms included in this publication and thrilled that it has come on the heels of a great year at the ITC for the Mintz team.
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Criminal Statute for Organized Crime Now Available to Combat Trade Secret Theft – But What is an Act of Trade Secret Theft under Civil RICO?
June 18, 2019 | Blog | By Michael Renaud, Nicholas Armington
The DTSA standing alone provides significant recourse for trade secret owners who have fallen victim to trade secret theft. Apart from the protection provided by the DTSA itself, however, the statute also allows trade secret owners to leverage the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a statute passed to address organized crime, to combat trade secret misappropriation. The DTSA does this by making trade secret theft qualify as a predicate act sufficient to show racketeering activity under RICO. This fairly new tool gives trade secret owners another potent option when confronting trade secret theft.
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Massachusetts Adopts Uniform Trade Secrets Act
September 6, 2018 | Blog | By Michael Renaud, Nicholas Armington
On October 1, 2018, Massachusetts will become the 49th state to adopt a version of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act. The version of the UTSA that Massachusetts will adopt bears notable similarities to the Defend Trade Secrets Act, the two year old federal trade secrets statute.
Read more
District Court Grants Protection under DTSA Whistleblower Immunity for First Time
April 6, 2018 | Blog | By Michael Renaud, Nick Armington
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania recently granted immunity under the whistleblower provision of the Defend Trade Secret Act in what appears to be the first decision of its kind under the new federal trade secret statute.
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International Trade Commission Becomes Even More Potent Venue for Victims of Trade Secret Misappropriation
January 30, 2018 | Blog | By Michael Renaud, Nick Armington
Speed is almost always of the essence for the victim of trade secret misappropriation. Many companies ground their business in proprietary information that, if made public, would make the exclusive product or service those companies provide a commodity good.
Read more
Potential Future Harm to Patent Holder Found to Justify Imposition of Preliminary Injunction
November 8, 2017 | Blog | By Andrew DeVoogd, Nick Armington
In Vecco Instruments Inc. v. SGL Carbon, LLC, No. 17-CV-2217 (E.D.N.Y. Nov. 2, 2017), Judge Pamela Chen in the Eastern District of New York recently granted Vecco’s motion for a preliminary injunction enjoining SGL Carbon.
Read more
News & Press
Law360 covered developments in a trade secret lawsuit involving X-ray tubes brought on by Mintz client Philips Medical Systems, Inc. against Chinese companies Kunshan GuoLi Electronic Technology Co. Ltd. and its subsidiary, Kunshan Yiyuan Medical Technology Co. Ltd.
A front page story in Bloomberg Law included commentary from Mintz Associate Nicholas Armington on an increased threat of trade secret theft as the coronavirus pandemic necessitates telework and drives layoffs.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has announced it's launching an investigation into whether thermoplastic parts used in certain BMW, Honda, and Toyota vehicle models have infringed five patents owned by Intellectual Ventures LLC.
The Defend Trade Secrets Act: A Powerful New Tool for Employers
October 25, 2016
IP Division Head Michael Renaud and Associate Nick Armington authored this Bloomberg BNA Daily Labor Report column examining the protections and provisions brought about by the DTSA and how employers can fully leverage it to combat trade secret theft.
IP Division Head Michael Renaud and Associate Nick Armington authored this Bloomberg BNA Daily Labor Report column that examines the DTSA and how employers can fully leverage it to combat trade secret theft.
This article notes that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) upheld claims in a Straight Path IP Group patent matter. The coverage notes that the decision follows a rare reversal by the Federal Circuit that found the PTAB used an incorrect claim construction previously.
This article notes that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board has upheld the validity of two Straight Path patents in Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s review.
Events
Speaker
Oct
14
2020
Trade Secret Threat Looms Due to Economic Downturn: Protecting and enforcing trade secrets in the COVID era
View the Webinar Recording
Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
Oct
3
2019
Trade Secrets: The Legal and Economic Implications of DTSA
Berkeley Research Group, 1800 M Street NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC
Speaker
Nov
14
2018
The Defend Trade Secrets Act: Rising Developments and Trends Employers Should Know
The Knowledge Group
Webinar
Panelist
Jun
28
2018
Data Protection at the Intersection of Trade Secrets and Cybersecurity
Boston Patent Law Association
Mintz Levin One Financial Center Boston, MA
Speaker
Mar
26
2018