Attorney Henry M. Sneath, Chair of Houston Harbaugh’s Intellectual Property Practice and Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice, was lead presenter of “Shhhh”…How to Keep Secrets Secret – The Litigation and Defense of a Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) Case” to the Q. Todd Dickinson Intellectual Property American Inn of Court. The event took place in the Honorable Cathy Bissoon’s courtroom of the U.S. District Court for Western District of Pennsylvania.
The presentation focused on recent developments and litigation strategies under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) which was signed into federal law on May 11, 2016. Previously, trade secret misappropriation was governed only by state laws. DTSA created a new federal civil cause of action as well as several new advantages for companies including access to Federal courts, better developed and more consistent law, foreign activity application, and enhanced remedies.
Sneath has extensive federal and state court trial experience and has represented clients in numerous DTSA and intellectual property matters. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Duquesne University School of Law where he teaches Trade Secret Law, and the Law of Trademarks and Unfair Competition. In addition, Sneath previously chaired the Defense Research Institute (DRI) and its Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property Committees, and is Past Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Law Section.