Chuck Knapp Quoted in Media Coverage of WL Gore Trade Secrets Case

A trade secrets case in which a former W.L. Gore & Associates Inc. scientist was accused of violating an injunction preventing him from working with certain fluoropolymers for a 10-year period has resulted in a warrant for his arrest on April 7.

The scientist, Huey Shen Wu, had admitted stealing Gore trade secrets in an action that Gore brought against him in 2004. That action led to the imposition of a 10-year injunction. In November 2012, the Delaware Chancery found that Wu had acted in contempt of that 10-year injunction, and ordered him to pay Gore $410,426 and take immediate steps to remedy his misconduct. Despite Wu's representations to the Court thereafter that he was in compliance, Gore discovered that he was continuing to act in violation of the Court order and brought another contempt action in March 2013, in which it sought additional sanctions, including an order requiring that Wu submit his passports and visas to the Court or face incarceration. Wu failed to comply with the Court's Order, and a capias (bench warrant) issued for his arrest.

Faegre Baker Daniels labor and employment partner Chuck Knapp has represented Gore through the 10-year legal saga, and he and partner Joel Schroeder have been representing Gore in the contempt proceedings. Knapp was quoted in an April 8 article appearing in Law360.

When asked whether Wu is in the country, Knapp said, "That's the million dollar question." Knapp was also mentioned in Reuters, the Chicago Tribune and the Delaware News Journal, and the case has also been covered in the New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek and the ABA Journal.