Linda K. Stevens is an intellectual property litigator and counselor. She has extensive experience in resolving — both inside and outside of the courtroom — intellectual property and other commercial disputes. In addition to her courtroom work, Ms. Stevens has acted as general outside counsel to several intellectual property-focused clients, assisting them with all legal aspects of their business.

For example, Ms. Stevens' experience includes:

• Obtaining (and defeating requests for) emergency injunctive relief in trade secrets, non-compete and other commercial disputes;
• Drafting non-competition, non-disclosure and other agreements to assist clients in protecting their valuable business information and customer relationships;
• Designing information protection programs, including appropriate contracts and policies as well as computer and network-based security measures;
• Helping clients to minimize the risk of liability (and to avoid being sued in the first place) when hiring employees away from the competition;
• Drafting intellectual property licenses and other contracts to assist clients in realizing maximum value from their intangible assets.

Ms. Stevens also writes and speaks extensively regarding the substantive legal, procedural and practical issues arising in trade secrets cases and "departing employee" litigation.

Experience

Ms. Stevens' representative engagements include:

Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc. v. Responsys Inc., Jonathan R. Bondoc and Matthew Limeri (Cook County, Ill. 2012)

Portola Packaging v. Logoplaste USA, et al., (Cook Cty. Ill.) (for Logoplaste)

JLG Industries Inc. v. Skyjack Inc. et al, (Kane County, Ill. 2011) (for JLG)

Optiver LLC v. TransMarketGroup LLC, (Cook County, Ill. 2009) (for Optiver)

Clear Channel Broadcasting Inc. v. The Tribune Company et al., (N.D. Ill. 2008) (for Clear Channel)

Ameriwood Industries, Inc. v. Liberman et al. (E.D. Mo. July 3, 2007) (for Ameriwood Industries)

Sanford Corporation v. McHenry (N.D. Ill. 2006) (for Sanford Corporation)

Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc. v. Waldron (N.D. Ill. 2006) (for Mr. Waldron)

Hormel Foods Corporation et al. v. MacDowell, RMH Foods, LLC, and Smithfield Foods, Inc. (Cook County, Ill. 2006) (for Mr. MacDowell)

Merial Ltd. v. Andrews (S.D.N.Y. 2004) (for Merial)

Key Mezzanine Capital Fund I, L.P. et al v. Display Graphics LLC, Pride LLC et al. (N.D. Ill. 2004) (for defendants)

Original IFPC Shareholders, Inc., as Assignee of the Goeken Group Corporation and In-Flight Phone Corporation v. AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., Claircom Communications and Hughes Network Systems, Inc. (DuPage County, Ill. 2003) (for AT&T Wireless and Claircom Communications)

Kraft Pizza Company v. Schwan's Sales Enterprises Inc. and Timothy Cauley (N.D. Ill. 2001) (for Kraft)

Antec Corp. v. Wearsch and Cadant, Inc. (N.D. Ill. 2000) (for Antec)

NCO Financial Systems, Inc. v. Caine & Weiner Company, Inc., et al. No. 01 C 0575 (N.D. Ill. 2001) (for defendants)

Arcus Data Security, Inc. v. Scott M. Brown and Reliable Media Management (N.D. Ill. 2000) (for defendants)

FX Network v. Hogan and Turner Broadcasting Sales, Inc. (N.D. Ill. 1999) (for defendants)

Publications

"Non-Competes and Non-Disclosure Agreements: Common Boilerplate Can Impede Enforcement," Journal of Private Equity (Fall 2011)

"Protecting Confidential Information in the Computer Age," Executive Counsel, Vol. 5, No. 4 (July/August 2008)

"The CFAA: New Remedies for Employee Computer Abuse," (co-author) Illinois Bar Journal (March 2008)

"The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and Employees: Recent Developments," Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) (April 2007)

"Avoiding False Advertising Claims," American Bar Association 2006 Annual Forum On Franchising Program Materials (2006)

"Trade Secrets Remedies and the Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine," Chapter in the Intellectual  Property Law Handbook, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) (Spring 2005)

click here for a full list of publications

Speeches and Presentations

"Secrecy in the Age of Email and Social Media," American Bar Association Section of Litigation Second Annual Intellectual Property Litigation Regional CLE Workshop (June 8, 2012)

"Use of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in Trade Secret Litigation: Employer v. Former Employee," (speaker) 56th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference, The John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Ill. (February 24, 2012)

"You Can't Take It With You: What's New in the Law Regarding Trade Secrets and Non-Competes," (Panelist) American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Hot Topics in Intellectual Property Litigation Regional CLE Workshop (June 10, 2011)

"Fundamentals of Franchising," American Bar Association Thirty-Third Forum on Franchising (October 13, 2010)

"Protecting and Enforcing Trade Dress," (panelist) 32nd Annual Forum on Franchising, Toronto, Canada (Oct. 15-16, 2009)

"My Client Is Accused of Trade Secrets Misappropriation...Now What?" Chicago Bar Association, Chicago, Ill. (January 7, 2009)

"Confidentiality In the Virtual Office: Protecting Information In the Computer Age," Schiff Hardin LLP Breakfast Briefing, Chicago, Ill. (June 8, 2008)

"Confidentiality In the Virtual Office: Protecting Information In the Computer Age," Financial Executives Society, Chicago, Ill. (November 15, 2007)

"Trade Secrets Basics," Chicago Bar Association's program Intellectual Property Law for Non-IP Attorneys, Chicago, Ill. (October 2, 2007)

"Recent Developments In Trade Secrets Law," Law Seminars International, Chicago, Ill. (May 11, 2007)

click here for a full list of speeches and presentations

Pro Bono Activities

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS)
 

Awards and Honors

Illinois Super Lawyers — Intellectual Property Litigation

Leading Lawyer - Intellectual Property; Trade Secrets/Unfair Competition, Illinois Leading Lawyers Network

The Legal 500 U.S. — Litigation

AV Rated — Martindale-Hubbell