Protecting Trade Secrets in a Collaboration: 2014 Updates

Brent Bersin is a Managing Director and a Litigation & Dispute Services Practice Leader in the Central Region of Grant Thornton LLP. He is located in Houston, Texas. Brent has 20 years of experience providing financial, economic, valuation, damages quantification consulting, and expert witness services to clients in the context of intellectual property and commercial disputes. His experience in intellectual property matters includes market assessments, valuation, licensing, and the calculation of lost profits and reasonable royalties. Brent has been designated and testified as an expert at both trial and deposition in Federal Court, State Court, and Bankruptcy Court, as well as arbitration proceedings. He holds a Bachelor in Business Administration in Accounting from the Bauer School of Business, University of Houston. Brent is Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the state of Texas, and also holds the credentials of Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) and Certified Licensing Professional (CLP).

Chris Larus is a Partner and Chair of the Minneapolis IP & Technology Group at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P.  For more than 20 years, Chris has helped his clients protect their intellectual property rights in complex trade-secret, patent, copyright, and licensing disputes.  Chris is a first chair trial lawyer who has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in courts throughout the country, and in both national and international arbitrations.  Chris also serves as an appointed arbitrator in IP, licensing and other complex commercial disputes before the International Center For Dispute Resolution (“ICDR”), American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”), and China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (“CIETAC”).  Chris, a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, has repeatedly been listed among The Best Lawyers in America (2010-2014 editions), Intellectual Asset Management  (“IAM”) World’s Leading Patent Practitioners (2014 edition), World Trademark Review (“WTR”) World’s Leading Trademark Practitioners (2012-2014), and Super Lawyer (2004, 2006-2013).