Attia v. Google, Inc.

Santa Clara Superior Court of California recently granted a motion for leave to file an amended complaint that allowed Eli Attia and Eli Attia Architect PC (“Plaintiffs”) to successfully bring racketeering claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (“RICO”) in addition to the trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract claims against Google, Inc. (“Google”). Attia originally filed suit on December 5, 2014.

Eli Attia (“Attia”) is an architect who developed a technology that enables creation of more sustainable buildings faster and with lower cost. He called the technology, “Engineered Architecture” (“EA”). Google X, an affiliate of Google, approached Attia in 2010 and signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (“NDA”) permitting Google to use Attia’s confidential information “to facilitate technical discussions concerning existing or future product development efforts by the parties.” Shortly after, the parties entered into an Inbound Services Agreement (“ISA”) and a Statement of Work (“SOW”) to build a software system capable of implementing the EA technology using Attia’s trade secrets and his “pre-existing property.” This was dubbed the “Genie Project.”

Attia alleged in the complaint that Google plotted to “squeeze out” Attia from the Genie Project and misappropriated his trade secrets by continuing to use EA and his pre-existing property without permission and compensation. Attia alleged that Google pretended to kill the Genie Project and spun it off into a new company called “Flux Factory” to further develop Attia’s technology.

In the fourth amended complaint filed on July 24, 2017, the Plaintiff’s legal team added racketeering charges against Google by claiming a pattern of trade secret thefts. The complaint uncovered six other cases in which Google engaged in a similar pattern of activity where the tech giant sought inventors, signed an NDA, boxed them out, and misappropriated their trade secrets. In the October 4, 2017 Order after hearing, the Superior Court permitted the addition in the amended complaint. Trial is scheduled for September 2018.

The case is Eli Attia et al. v. Google, Inc. et al., case number 2014-1-CV-274103, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara.

Fourth Amended Complaint: http://tsi.brooklaw.edu/sites/tsi.brooklaw.edu/files/filings/attia-v-google-inc/20170724fourth-amended-complaint.pdf
Order After Hearing: http://tsi.brooklaw.edu/sites/tsi.brooklaw.edu/files/filings/attia-v-google-inc/20171004order-after-hearing.pdf

Tesla Motors v. Anderson et al.

Docket Number: 17-cv-305646
Case Filing Date: April 19, 2017
Jurisdiction: State Court
Location: California
Court Name: County of Santa Clara, Superior Court of the State of California
Summary:

In Jaunary 2017, Tesla Motors, Inc. (“Tesla”) filed a breach of contract lawsuit against former employee Sterling Anderson, former chief of the company’s Autopilot Program, and Chris Urmson, former CTO of Alphabet Inc.’s self-driving technology. Tesla alleged that Anderson and Urmson attempted to recruit multiple Tesla engineers to their new company, Aurora, and for allegedly stole “hundreds of gigabytes” of confidential Tesla information.

Anderson’s and Urmsons’s goal for Aurora is to develop driverless cars and improve safety for self-driving technology. Tesla claimed in the suit that Anderson violated his employment contract and breached a duty of loyalty to Tesla by recruiting Tesla engineers and using company information to form Aurora.

On April 19, 2017, the parties settled the lawsuit when Tesla agreed to withdraw its suit without damages, attorneys’ fees, or any finding of wrongdoing. Aurora agreed to reimburse Tesla for future ongoing audits conducted to establish that Aurora did not in fact misappropriate Tesla’s trade secrets. Aurora also agreed to pay Tesla $100,000. As per the settlement, Anderson’s contractual obligations to Tesla will remain intact and will also extend to Aurora.

The case is Tesla Motors Inc. v. Anderson et al., case number 17-CV-305646, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara.

Judge: N/A
Plaintiff(s): Tesla Motors Inc.
Defendant(s): Chris Urmson, Sterling Anderson
Legal Basis for Trade Secret Claims: Other state statute