Darin Snyder

Darin Snyder handles complex trade secrets and patent disputes for a diverse clientele, ranging from industry giants to emerging technology companies.

He was recently lead counsel in a groundbreaking trade secrets litigation involving home health care management solutions. His client, CareCentrix, alleged trade secret misappropriation and related claims against their former general manager, Lanznar, and a competitor, Signify Health. CareCentrix, Inc., et al. v. Lanznar, et al ., 1:20-cv-01765 (D. Del., filed Dec. 23, 2020).

Throughout the litigation, Snyder's team achieved several significant victories, including securing expedited discovery, winning critical discovery disputes and ultimately obtaining a preliminary injunction against Lanznar. The case reached a confidential settlement, marking a significant achievement in the protection of intellectual property in the health care industry.

"Although we quickly obtained expedited discovery, it wasn't fast enough to stop the defendants from destroying a lot of evidence of their wrongdoing," Snyder said. "For example, defendant Lanznar performed a 'factory reset' on his phone, and the best forensic technology was unable to recover the phone's contents. He also wiped his company laptop and deleted text messages, browser history, call logs and pictures and screenshots of CareCentrix documents that we found embedded in emails from Lanznar to his new employer."

In another high-profile case, Franklin Resources, Inc. (formerly Franklin Templeton) enlisted Snyder's services to defend against claims of trade secret misappropriation, copyright infringement, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty brought by Blockchain Innovation, LLC. Blockchain Innovation, LLC v. Franklin Resources, Inc. et al ., 3:21-cv-08787-AMO (N.D. Cal., filed Nov. 12, 2021).

This case revolves around allegations that Franklin Resources misappropriated trade secrets related to blockchain and tokenization software and systems. The matter remains ongoing and underscores the importance of safeguarding intellectual property rights in the evolving landscape of blockchain technology.

Snyder's insights into the trade secrets field highlight key trends and challenges. "One trend is the continued skepticism about non-competition agreements, which is a critical tool to protecting confidential information in most states in the country. Increasingly, states are adopting restrictions or prohibitions on these agreements," he said. "And the Federal Trade Commission has proposed a rule that would prevent employers from entering into non-competition clauses with workers and that would require employers to rescind existing non-competition clauses. This trend has affected how companies protect and enforce their rights in confidential information."

Snyder also holds the role of diversity and inclusion partner at O'Melveny, where he has introduced innovative programs and policies, such as adopting the cutting-edge recruiting tool pymetrics, which leverages neuroscience and AI to enhance hiring practices.

In addition to his legal career, Snyder is actively involved in various organizations, including his role as founder and chair of the Bay Urban Debate League. He has also served on the boards of the Bar Association of San Francisco and The Legal Aid Society of San Francisco, Employment Law Center and held leadership positions in the American Bar Association's Litigation Section, Intellectual Property Committee, and Trade Secrets Sub-committee.