Steven M. Levitan

Levitan's 30-plus-year career in IP litigation has focused increasingly over the last decade on trade secrets disputes and counseling, often involving international clients. In April 2021, he moved to Womble Bond's Silicon Valley outpost from his perch as co-chair of the global trade secrets group at Hogan Lovells.

He said the Womble Bond firm grew its IP practice significantly in 2018 when it acquired a prominent IP boutique with offices in Sunnyvale and elsewhere, Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman LLP.

"This was an opportunity for me to re-team up with friends and colleagues I have worked with in the past," Levitan said. "The addition of the Blakely firm really gave Womble critical mass in Silicon Valley."

Levitan's practice, like Womble Bond's, is international. Last year he wrote on "Trade Secret Protection in China After the US-China Phase One Trade Deal" for Global Trade Magazine. "Historically, I've done a lot of work for Asian clients," he said, naming China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. "We continue to live in a global economy. Trade secrets law and standards are more developed in the U.S. Despite tensions between our governments, Chinese companies are increasingly participants in the U.S. market who need to know and understand the legal landscape here."

Before the International Trade Commission, Levitan represented respondent uPI Semiconductor Corp. in an enforcement proceeding brought by Richtek Technology Corp., both based in Taiwan, over trade secrets misappropriation and patent infringement claims regarding DC-DC controllers. The case settled with the ITC rescinding an order banning uPI's products from importation. Certain DC-DC Controllers and Products Containing Same, No. 337-TA-698 (ITC, filed Oct. 16, 2017).

In his counseling work, Levitan's clients include Pony.ai, an autonomous vehicle technology company co-located in Fremont and Beijing, China; Clounix Technologies Ltd. of Hangzhou, China; and SuzoHapp North America. The topics are confidential but generally include trade secrets protection and misappropriation issues.

"This is very much a growing area of my practice," Levitan said. "I direct a number of internal corporate investigations and help clients navigate employee mobility concerns. I advise on corporate policy and best practices regarding topics such as non-disclosure agreements."

Levitan is co-lead counsel for a driver risk management company plaintiff in litigation under the Defend Trade Secrets Act over a proprietary risk management platform. Safety Holdings Inc. d/b/a SambaSafety and American Driving Records inc. v Checkr Inc. 3:20-cv-03004 (N.D. Cal., filed April 30, 2020).

Following a successful opposition to the defendant's motion to dismiss, the case settled on terms satisfactory to the client, Levitan said.

He added that the new job is going well. "I'm glad I made the move. I'm happy here at a firm with a strong IP practice."

--John Roemer