Angelique Kaounis is Of Counsel in the Century City office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where she practices in the Firm’s Litigation Department, with a focus on intellectual property and technology-related issues.  Ms. Kaounis is a member of the Firm’s Antitrust and Trade Regulation, Media and Entertainment, Intellectual Property, and Privacy, Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection Practice Groups.

Ms. Kaounis has successfully represented clients in a broad range of litigation matters, including trade secret misappropriation cases, antitrust and unfair competition matters, business tort cases, contract disputes, and class actions in a number of areas, including the high-tech, entertainment, and health care industries.  Ms. Kaounis has prepared for and participated in jury trials, arbitrations, and mediations, and she has provided antitrust advice in connection with mergers, proposed business practices/collaborations, and licensing of standard essential patents.

Some of Ms. Kaounis’ representative achievements include:

• Defeating class certification in multi-state price fixing class action on behalf of major music label.
• Entry of judgment and permanent injunction against former employee accused of leaking company confidential information for unauthorized publication.
• Entry of judgment and permanent injunction against former employee accused of misappropriating trade secrets from a Fortune 500 company for use in a foreign country.
• Favorable settlement of breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation claims brought by television network against former producers.
• Favorable resolution of trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition and related state law tort claims against leading packaging manufacturer and employee.
• Dismissal of all claims after summary judgment in favor of international law firm in a professional negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract action.
• Advising in successful regulatory review of merger between leading ticketing service company and leading music promotion company (the matter was short-listed for Global Competition Review Matter of the Year).
• Defeating motion for class certification in a proposed nationwide class action alleging state tort and unfair competition claims in connection with Hewlett Packard Company’s utilization of certain ink gauge technology in its inkjet printers and related cartridges.
• Securing Arbitration Award, including nearly $3 million in attorneys’ fees and costs, in favor of co-CEOs of algorithmic trading firm in multimillion dollar complex tax arbitration involving claims of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.
• Representation of major entertainment client in litigation alleging trade secret misappropriation of online technology.
• Dismissal of all claims after summary judgment in favor of leading ticketing service company in antitrust action brought by major competitor alleging violations of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act and various state laws.

Ms. Kaounis has been honored three times by Law & Politics and Los Angeles magazines as one of Southern California’s “Rising Stars”.

Ms. Kaounis currently serves as the Chair of the Trade Secrets Interest Group of the California Lawyers Association’s Intellectual Property (IP) Section, and previously served as a member of the Executive Committee of the IP Section.  She also served as a member of the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association’s Heart & Stroke Ball – Los Angeles for five years (2014-2019).  Ms. Kaounis has served on the Firm’s Associates Committee and Diversity Committee.  Ms. Kaounis has been an active member of the University of Pennsylvania Alumni community, having served for three years as the President of the Penn Law Alumni Club of Southern California, of which she is also a Founding Board Member, and as a liaison to PennClubLA.

Ms. Kaounis earned her J.D. from University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 2000, where she was Internet and Production Editor of The University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law and Co-Chair of the Moot Court Board.  She received her B.A. in Political Science and Spanish magna cum laude, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers College in 1997.  Ms. Kaounis is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and all California state courts.

Select Publications and Speaking Engagements:

• Panelist, Trade Secrets Protection, Enforcement & Litigation, Hosted by SandPiper Partners LLC (2020)
• A Practical Approach for In-House Counsel to Protect Your Trade Secrets, Clear Law Institute (2017).
• Ethics of Handling Trade Secrets, California State Bar 89th Annual Meeting (Oct. 1, 2016).
• Daily Journal: Are Your Client Lists Trade Secrets? (2016).
• Developments in Data Protection, California State Bar 88th Annual Meeting (Oct. 10, 2015).
• Presidential Summit Reveals Cybersecurity Concerns, Trends, Law360 (Feb. 17, 2015).
• Co-author, SEC Cybersecurity Findings May Establish De Facto Standard, Law360 (Feb. 6, 2015).
• Contributing Editor, Trade Secret Litigation and Protection in California (3d. ed., 2014).
• Recent Developments in California Trade Secret Law, California State Bar 87th Annual Meeting (Sept. 12, 2014).
• Best Practices In Trade Secret Due Diligence, Webinar, The State Bar of California Intellectual Property Law Section Trade Secrets Interest Group (July 2, 2013).
• A. Lawyer: High-Tech Stakes  – Trade Secret Due Diligence Considerations For Technology Acquisitions (2010).
• California Court of Appeal Issues Decision Upholding Preemption of Claims for Breach of Confidence, Interference with Contract, and Statutory Unfair Competition under the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act (2009).