Patel Burica and Associates, Inc. v. Jason Lin

I. INTRODUCTION

This case concerns the alleged infringement of a structural engineering firm’s copyrighted designs, as well as the alleged misappropriation of that firm’s other non- copyrighted trade secrets, by a former employee. Plaintiff Patel Burica & Associates, Inc. (“PBA”), a structural engineering firm based in Irvine, California, filed this action against defendants Jason Lin, a structural engineer formerly employed by PBA, and JKL Structural Engineering (“JKL”), a new entity formed by Lin, on September 25, 2019. See ECF No. 1 (“Compl.”). Defendants Lin and JKL filed a motion to dismiss the complaint’s trade secret and copyright claims for relief on November 12, 2019. See ECF No. 16-1. On December 19, 2019, the Court granted the motion, without prejudice, as to PBA’s first claim for copyright infringement, but denied the motion with respect to PBA’s second claim for trade secret misappropriation. See ECF No. 23 (“MTD Order’). PBA filed a first amended complaint on December 30, 2019. See ECF No. 24 (“FAC”). The first amended complaint includes and attaches new allegations and exhibits to …