Angelique Kaounis is a partner 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. Angelique is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property; Trials; Media and Entertainment; Antitrust and Trade Regulation; and Privacy, Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection Practice Groups.
Angelique 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, financial services, and health care industries. Angelique represents clients in all aspects of litigation, including jury trials, arbitrations, and mediations, and advises in connection with protecting trade secrets, proposed business practices/collaborations, and existing contractual obligations.
Some of Angelique’s representative achievements include:
- Securing dismissal with prejudice of alleged marketing trade secrets on behalf of one of the world’s leading technology and product companies in an ongoing trade secret misappropriation case.
- Securing an order striking alleged system-wide trade secrets for leading mortgage servicing company.
- Successfully resolving trade secret claims brought by an online healthcare services startup.
- Securing dismissal of trade secret claims against one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders.
- Securing a voluntary dismissal of a trade secret misappropriation claim against an online gaming company.
- Defeating class certification in a multi-state price fixing class action on behalf of a major music label.
- Securing entry of judgment and a permanent injunction against a former employee accused of leaking company confidential information for unauthorized publication.
- Securing entry of judgment and a permanent injunction against a former employee accused of misappropriating trade secrets from a Fortune 500 company for use in a foreign country.
- Obtaining a favorable settlement of breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation claims brought by a television network against former producers.
- Achieving a favorable resolution of trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition and related state law tort claims against a leading packaging manufacturer and its employee.
- Securing dismissal of all claims after summary judgment in favor of an international law firm in a professional negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract action.
- Advising in a successful regulatory review of a merger between a leading ticketing service company and a leading music promotion company (the matter was short-listed for Global Competition Review Matter of the Year).
- Defeating a motion for class certification in a proposed nationwide class action alleging state tort and unfair competition claims in connection with ink gauge technology in inkjet printers and cartridges.
- Securing an Arbitration Award, including nearly $3 million in attorneys’ fees and costs, in favor of co-CEOs of an algorithmic trading firm in a complex tax arbitration involving claims of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.
- Angelique has been honored three times by Law & Politics and Los Angeles magazines as one of Southern California’s “Rising Stars.”
Angelique currently serves on the Sedona Conference WG12 (Trade Secrets) drafting committee for Commentary: “The Use of Clean Rooms to Minimize Risk and Protect Innovations.” She also has served as a trial advocacy instructor at Stanford Law School, and as the Vice Chair of the Trade Secrets Interest Group of the California Lawyers Association’s Intellectual Property (IP) Section, having previously served as Chair, and co-Vice Chair, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the IP Section. She has been a member of the Executive Leadership Team or Heart of LA Board for the American Heart Association’s Heart & Stroke Ball – Los Angeles for several years (2013-2019, 2022-2023). Additionally, Angelique has served on the firm’s Associate Committee and Diversity Committee. Angelique 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.
Angelique 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. Angelique is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of California, the Second and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal, and all California state courts.
Select Publications and Speaking Engagements:
- Moderator, Focus Session: Controlling Internal Misappropriation, IAM Live: Trade Secrets Strategy USA (Nov. 2, 2023).
- Contributing Editor, Trade Secret Litigation & Protection Practice Guide, California Lawyers Association (2022).
- 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).
- L.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).
Capabilities
- Intellectual Property
- Antitrust and Competition
- Law Firm Defense
- Litigation
- Media, Entertainment, and Technology
- Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Data Innovation
- Tech and Innovation
- Technology Litigation
- Trade Secrets
- Trials
Credentials
Education:
- University of Pennsylvania - 2000 Juris Doctor
- Rutgers University - 1997 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
- California Bar