Obtained Dismissal of Claims Against Medical Device Manufacturer in Employment and Trade Secret Case, Established Principle of Non-Compete Enforcement in California Supreme Court

Advanced Bionics v. Medtronic, Inc., 29 Cal. 4th 697 (2002)

Robins Kaplan LLP served as lead defense counsel for medical device manufacturer Medtronic in an employment and trade secret case brought by a competitor and relating to alleged violation of a non-compete agreement. The firm obtained a ruling from the California Supreme Court vacating an anti-suit injunction enjoining a parallel Minnesota lawsuit filed by a medical device manufacturer seeking to enforce a non-compete agreement in California, and ultimately obtained dismissal of the California lawsuit. This case established the principle, in the California Supreme Court, that non-compete agreements are enforceable in California despite a statutory bar on such agreements.