David Pardue was quoted in IAM about a jury verdict reached in a trade secrets case of an electric aircraft startup against Boeing. Zunum Aero alleged that Boeing stole its trade secrets during an investment deal regarding Zunum's electric aircraft technology. The verdict resulted in Zunum being awarded $72 million in damages.

"Clearly, the jury believed the story told by the plaintiff Zunum that Boeing took their know-how to make their own prototype either to compete with Zunum or to ensure they did not succeed in manufacturing an electric passenger plane [so that Zunum] would not take business from its existing products," David said. 

Zunum filed the case under the Washington Trade Secrets Act and not the federal DTSA. Lawyers for Zunum might have "just felt more comfortable that the Washington law had some age and therefore more development, [while] the DTSA is still only eight years old and may not be settled in their district," David said.

Subscribers can read the full article here: From Partners to Rivals: Collaboration Contamination Perils in Zunum v. Boeing

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