A parent corporation is typically not held liable for the acts of a subsidiary. As such, disregarding the corporate form (i.e., by piercing the corporate veil) and holding the parent liable is an extraordinary remedy. That said, if a parent company exercises enough control over a subsidiary, however, courts may hold the parent liable. Because there is often some degree of overlap between a parent and its subsidiary, a question courts are often faced with is just how much control is enough to justify imposing liability on a parent for its subsidiary’s actions?
Trade Secrets
When Nondisclosure Agreements and Pharmaceutical Trade Secrets Intersect
By Michelle M. Ovanesian on
In the United States, the scale of trade secret theft is estimated to be between $180 billion and $450 billion annually. Among the targets of this theft are pharmaceutical companies, which are some of the most research-intensive institutions in the world. Pharmaceutical research generally requires extensive work and often generates…
Secret Hair Don’t Care: When NDAs Fail to Protect Trade Secrets
By Jessica Griffith on
In a significant recent decision, the Federal Circuit reversed a $66 million judgment against L’Oreal USA, Inc. for patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation asserted by Olaplex, Inc. The case arose as a result of L’Oreal and Olaplex entering into negotiations regarding a potential acquisition, pursuant to which Olaplex shared with L’Oreal its confidential information, including asserted trade secrets. L’Oreal subsequently walked away from the deal and launched competing products of its own. Though the parties’ negotiations were governed by a non-disclosure agreement, the Federal Circuit found Olaplex failed to prove that either its asserted trade secrets were actually trade secrets, or that L’Oreal had misappropriated them.
Failing To Take Proper Precautions, Hooked Media Lets Trade Secret Misappropriation Claim Off the Hook
By Russell T. Gorkin on
Late last year, a California appellate court reaffirmed longstanding principles that have important lessons for employers hoping to prevent their employees from taking trade secrets with them if they leave to work for a competitor.
The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 – Key Takeaways
By Alex Weinstein, Steven M. Kayman & John Barry on
Earlier this week, Congress passed the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA). It is expected to be signed into law shortly. For the first time, the DTSA will create a federal private cause of action for misappropriation of trade secrets. Previously, federal protection of trade secrets was confined to…