On May 4, 2023, the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, affirmed the dismissal with prejudice of a lawsuit filed by NAV Consulting, Inc. against Taft client Sudrania Fund Services Corporation (SFS). NAV brought claims against SFS for tortious interference with contract and trade secret misappropriation, among other claims. Taft partner Daniel Saeedi obtained a dismissal of NAV’s claims with prejudice in the trial court. Taft partner Jonathan Amarilio and associate Adam Decker then secured an affirmance of that win, with the appellate court holding that NAV’s claims were preempted, that NAV failed to plead its claims with sufficient specificity, and that NAV failed to demonstrate that an opportunity to amend its claims would lead to a different result.

Saeedi leads Taft’s Trade Secret Litigation team. He represents clients nationwide in the realm of trade secret theft, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and breaches of fiduciary duties. Amarilio serves as co-chair of Taft’s Appellate practice. He has extensive experience representing clients in the Illinois Appellate Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Decker is an associate in Taft’s Commercial Litigation and Appellate practices.