Supported by a highly capable litigation and arbitration practice, Morrison & Foerster is acknowledged for its strength in cross-border disputes across the region. The firm provides corporate investigation and enforcement capabilities backed by a fully integrated regional practice across five offices in Asia. It operates across a broad range of sectors including energy, chemicals, construction, manufacturing, real estate, and technology and telecommunications.
Managing partner Timothy Blakely heads the firm’s Hong Kong litigation department. His practice focuses on government investigations, complex commercial litigation and international arbitration matters. Another key partner to note is Sarah Thomas.
The firm's IP team is currently engaged in a contentious trade secret theft arbitration in California on behalf of Snap-on and Mitchell 1. They are pursuing legal action against Autel Intelligent Technology, a China-based company, and its US subsidiary. The case revolves around the audacious theft of proprietary data from two long-standing American companies. Autel Intelligent Technology and its US subsidiary deployed sophisticated hacking methods to bypass the security and protection mechanisms put in place by Snap-on Tools and Mitchell 1. The defendants' actions allowed them unauthorised access to valuable trade secrets, leading to multiple claims, including misappropriation of trade secrets, violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and breaches of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and state anti-hacking statutes.
The rest of the cases submitted during the research period remain strictly confidential, but the firm kept busy working on matters related to government investigations, shareholders’ agreements, and a number of Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and International Chamber of Commerce arbitrations.
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