Reasonable Measures

In this episode of Reasonable Measures , Chris Buntel speaks with Pape Dieng, IP Director at the Wyss Center, about what he has learned during his first year managing trade secrets in a collaborative research environment. Pape shares how research organizations can build a stronger culture around confidentiality, IP protection, and trade secret management, especially when scientists and researchers...

Mintz Partner Brad Scheller joins Chris Buntel, CIPO at Tangibly, on Reasonable Measures to discuss why HR plays such an important role in protecting trade secrets. They cover how companies can reduce risk through onboarding, employee training, access management, and offboarding, and why many trade secret issues start with people who already have access to sensitive information. The takeaway: trad...

In this episode of the Reasonable Measures podcast, Chris Buntel speaks with Simone Frattasi, Head of Global IP at Maersk, about whether trade secrets can support sustainability goals rather than stand in the way of them. Their conversation looks at how companies can help accelerate the energy transition through more open IP strategies while still protecting valuable know how. Simone shares how Ma...

In this episode of the Reasonable Measure Podcast , Tim and Chris break down TRAPs, short for Training Repayment Agreement Provisions, and why they are emerging as noncompetes face growing legal pressure. These “stay or pay” agreements require employees to repay training costs if they leave a company, which can effectively discourage job changes even when someone is not joining a competitor. Tim a...

Chris Buntel of Tangibly is joined by Nick McLeod, Principal of IP and Intangible Assets at Invara, to unpack why cybersecurity and trade secret protection are now inseparable. They break down how trade secrets are really lost today, from mass downloads and risky file sharing to accidental leaks through personal email, cloud tools, and public AI platforms. Nick explains the difference between defe...

Summary In this milestone 20th episode of the Reasonable Measures Podcast , Tim Londergan and Chris Buntel dive into one of the most consequential questions in modern trade secret law: how far the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) can reach beyond U.S. borders. The conversation centers on the ongoing Xcoal case, where a Japanese employee working entirely abroad allegedly downloaded sensitive busines...

In this episode of Reasonable Measures , Tim Londergan and Chris Buntel unpack one of the biggest developments in intellectual property this year: the 1.5 billion dollar Anthropic copyright settlement. The discussion explores what the case means for creators, AI companies, and the broader balance between innovation and protection in the age of large language models. Tim and Chris walk through the...

In this episode of Reasonable Measures , Chris Buntel welcomes longtime colleague Ray Miller, Partner at DLA Piper and Chair of the Life Sciences practice, to discuss the evolving role of trade secrets in mergers and acquisitions. While patents once dominated due diligence, the conversation highlights how know how, key employees, and trade secrets now often carry more value than formal IP rights....

In this episode of the  Reasonable Measures  podcast, Chris Buntel is joined by  Raluca David of  Insight Contracts Law Firm  in France  for an international discussion on a deceptively tricky issue: drawing the line between an employee’s professional expertise, a company’s confidential know-how, and legally protected trade secrets. Together they unpack why this distinction matters, especially in ...

 In this episode Tim and Chris unpack the Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine, a century old trade secret rule that began in 1902 when a sugar refinery worker was blocked from joining a competitor. They explain how the doctrine works, the three factors courts consider, and how it is used to prevent potential misuse of trade secrets before any misappropriation occurs. The conversation explores how diffe...

Summary In this conversation, Tim and Chris examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping the landscape of intellectual property, particularly in patent law and trade secret strategy. They explore the concept of FOSITA (person of ordinary skill in the art) and how AI’s growing capabilities challenge traditional notions of inventorship, obviousness, and enablement. As AI increasingly assists or...

In this episode of Reasonable Measures , Tim and Chris explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is colliding with intellectual property (IP) law, particularly focusing on copyrights, patents, and trade secrets. They highlight legal challenges around whether AI can be considered an “inventor” or “author,” and revisit the well-known “monkey selfie” case as a precedent for non-human creations. As AI-...

In this episode of the Reasonable Measures podcast, Tim and Chris return after a busy start to the year to dive into a landmark trade secret case: Phillips 66 v. Propel Fuels. They unpack how Propel secured a $604.9 million judgment—later tripled to a staggering $1.8 billion—due to willful and malicious trade secret misappropriation. The discussion highlights key risk mitigation strategies for com...

In this episode of the Reasonable Measures podcast, Tim and Chris discuss three notable trade secret cases from Latvia, China, and the United States. They explore the implications of whistleblower retaliation, the intersection of trade secrets and criminal law, and the complexities of ongoing litigation between IQVIA and Viva Systems. The conversation highlights the evolving landscape of trade sec...

The most frequently litigated cases don't have to be the most boring. Discover why customer lists are the most litigated trade secrets in this episode with Tim and Chris. They break down  recent cases to highlight common mistakes and offer strategies for robust protection. Tune in for a mix of humor and insights that will help you keep your trade secrets safe from personal emails.

In this Episode of Reasonable Measures, Chris Buntel and Tim Londergan discuss the recent legal case of Prysmian v. Sterlite, where an executive packaged up a business and walked across the street. This is a fascinating if not all-too-familiar tale of corporate theft. The discussion highlights the evolving understanding of trade secrets in the context of international business and the importance o...

Motorola Solutions v. Hytera Communications sets a nice precedent. In this episode of Reasonable Measures, Tim and Chris discuss the significant legal case involving Motorola Solutions and Hytera, focusing on trade secret misappropriation and copyright infringement. They explore the background of the case, the evidence of misconduct, the appeal process, and the implications of the court's decision...

Tim and Chris discuss the reversal and remand of the Appian Pegasystems case, which involved a $2 billion damages award. The original case gained attention for its massive damage award and the systematic theft of trade secrets by Pegasystems. The reversal and remand were based on issues of evidence and causation, with the damages calculation not accurately connecting to the trade secrets. The case...

Summary In this episode, Tim and Chris discuss a recent trade secret misappropriation case in China, which resulted in a record-breaking judgment of 640 million RMB (about 88 million USD). They highlight the significance of this case in recognizing the value of trade secrets and protecting companies from misappropriation. The case involved a wholesale movement of 40 employees from one Chinese elec...

Imagine suing your former graduate students for stealing trade secrets to the tune of $849M in damages, but losing the case and having to pay them $26.6M. SigmaPharm Laboratories v. ex-employees is a highly unusual case that touches on a wide range of issues from promises of start-up equity to employees leaving to work on similar technologies. You won’t find many cases with these fact patterns! Ad...

Zunum thought they had the perfect partner. Boeing cheated and left them at the alter. Tim & Chris pick apart the recent Zunum decision where they were awarded $81.2 million total on the trade secrets misappropriation claims and an additional $11.6 for tortious interference. The jury also found that Zunum failed to mitigate about $20.8 million in damages, however, reducing the total award to a...

We discuss how trade secret owners can use the ITC (International Trade Commission) as a way to block goods from being imported into the USA. This is an interesting, and very different, alternative to traditional lawsuits in state or federal court.

Tim and Chris turn their focus to the post FTC fight and the three cases looking to upend the ban on non-compete agreements.  They also take a peak at Jane Street vs. Millennium Management case where two ex-employees accused of stealing trade secrets.

Tim and Chris discuss an ongoing case,  VANDA PHARMACEUTICALS v. United States , which highlights the potential trade secret misappropriation by an FDA official!!  This is preceded by a quick discussion of the  FTC decision  to ban non-compete agreements.  More on that topic next week!

Tim and Chris talk about Plintron Technologies trade secret misappropriation case against some former executives, and Chris’s recent trip to India to spend time with our investor and partner Wipro and their legal services team .