On November 1, 2024, a federal jury in Delaware unanimously returned a verdict for Wilson Sonsini clients Inhibrx Biosciences and Dr. Brendan Eckelman. Inhibrx and its co-founder, Dr. Eckelman, are at the forefront of developing innovative therapies to combat cancer using the body’s own immune system. Their novel antibodies aim to both inhibit tumor growth and stimulate immune response.

In 2021, Dr. Eckelman served as an expert witness in an international arbitration dispute, reviewing confidential materials, submitting an expert report, and testifying at the arbitration. However, the losing party in that arbitration, dissatisfied with Dr. Eckelman’s testimony, sued him and Inhibrx, alleging misappropriation of bispecific immuno-oncologic antibody trade secrets purportedly contained in the reviewed documents. The plaintiff sought over $450 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

The Wilson Sonsini trial team took on the case as lead counsel just six weeks before jury selection. Throughout the proceedings, Inhibrx demonstrated that its scientific advancements were the result of its own diligent efforts, expertise, and innovation. Testimony from Inhibrx scientists underscored the company’s commitment to independent research and development, as well as its robust protection of intellectual property. After a week-long trial, the jury unanimously concluded that the information Dr. Eckelman reviewed did not qualify as trade secrets, had not been obtained through improper means, and that neither Dr. Eckelman nor Inhibrx had used that information. In addition, the jury awarded the plaintiff $0 in damages, marking a complete victory for Inhibrx and Dr. Eckelman.

The Wilson Sonsini trial team included Luis Li, Paul Watford, Amy Candido, Eric Tuttle, Matthew Reed, Christopher Mays, Jamie Otto, Josh Craddock, Kevin Heiner, Nick Guenther, Nicole Kofman, Shea Henneman, and Michael Lamb.

For more information, visit Inhibrx’s news release here.