Trade Secrets 2019 Litigation Roundup And 2020 Trends

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP attorneys, in Part 1 of a two-part series, highlight 2019 developments in trade secret litigation and say 2020 will see similar trends. Courts will continue to construe the Defend Trade Secrets Act and attorneys can expect to see more cases alleging misappropriation of emerging technologies.

2019 marked another exciting year for trade secret litigation. Approximately 1,400 new cases were filed in federal courts, holding fairly steady with the number filed in 2018. Successful federal plaintiffs were awarded more than $45 million total for their trade secret claims, with an average award of about $1.1 million.

We expect 2020 to be equally eventful for trade secret litigation.