
Nicholas is a litigator who combines practical advice with deep experience to deliver results for his clients who find themselves the target of a lawsuit, or require the assistance of the courts to resolve a dispute. Nicholas represents clients in federal and state court, and at the International Trade Commission, where his practice covers all aspects of IP litigation with a focus on cases concerning allegations of trade secret misappropriation. Nicholas has delivered results for clients in a variety of technology areas, including network devices, semiconductors, consumer electronics, medical devices, and manufacturing devices.
Nicholas brings robust courtroom experience to litigating trade secret and other matters. Aside from the trial work he has done for his clients at Mintz, while a Special Assistant District Attorney in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, Nicholas prosecuted over 150 criminal matters, trying well over a dozen jury and bench trials. Prior to joining Mintz, Nick worked for Hon. Ralph D. Gants, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and Hon. Patti B. Saris, Chief Judge of the US District Court, District of Massachusetts.
Education
- Northeastern University (JD)
- Williams College (BA)
Experience
Select Trade Secret Litigation
- Philips Medical Systems (Cleveland), Inc., et al. v. Buan, et al., 19-cv-2648 (N.D. Ill) – Represent Plaintiff in trade secret misappropriation action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
- Novatrans Group S.A. v. Vital Farms, Inc. et al., 1:18-cv-01012-RGA (D. Del.) – Represented Plaintiff in trade secret misappropriation action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
Select Patent Litigation
- Certain Thermoplastic-Encapsulated Electric Motors, Components Thereof, and Products and Vehicles Containing Same (337-TA-1052, -1073) – Represented Complainant in this ITC investigation, and in parallel Federal District Court cases.
- Certain Computing or Graphics Systems, Components Thereof, and Vehicles Containing Same (337-TA-984) - Represented Complainant in an ITC investigation adverse to a number of automotive manufacturers, and infotainment system and chip suppliers.
- Certain Communications or Computing Devices and Components Thereof (337-TA-925) - Represented Complainant in an ITC investigation adverse to a number of consumer electronics companies.
Select Inter Partes Reviews
- Victory at CAFC: PTAB Decision Reversed and Remanded – Represented Straight Path IP Group in successfully appealing to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) the adverse result of an inter partes review handled by another firm. The IPR decision canceled all challenged claims of Straight Path’s U.S. Patent No. 6,108,704. In the Straight Path IP Group, Inc. v. Sipnet EU SRO appeal, the CAFC for the first time completely reversed an adverse IPR decision, remanding the matter for further proceedings under the correct construction advocated by Mintz and Straight Path.
- Defense of Multiple IPRs – Point-to-Point Communication Over Computer Networks – Currently representing Straight Path IP Group in the defense of seventeen inter partes reviews filed against three U.S. patents concerning technology for facilitating point-to-point communications over computer networks. Petitioners include Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Cisco Systems, Inc.; Avaya Inc.; LG Electronics, Inc.; Toshiba Corp.; VIZIO, Inc.; Verizon Communications, Inc.; and Hulu, LLC.
Viewpoints
Fact-Specific Inquiry: Deciding Between Trade Secret and Patent Protection
September 15, 2020 | Blog | By Adam Samansky, Nicholas Armington
Rules of Engagement: Minimizing Trade Secret Disputes when Hiring Rival Employees
September 10, 2020 | Blog | By Adam Samansky, Nicholas Armington
Playing Fair: Protect Trade Secrets from Business Partners
September 8, 2020 | Blog | By Adam Samansky, Nicholas Armington
Workplace Confidential: Preventing Former Employees from Using Your Trade Secrets
August 24, 2020 | Blog | By Adam Samansky, Nicholas Armington
Danger on the Horizon: Detecting Early Signs of Trade Secret Theft by Competitors
August 20, 2020 | Blog | By Adam Samansky, Nicholas Armington
Keeping (Trade) Secrets Amid a Reduction in Force
August 17, 2020 | Blog | By Adam Samansky, Nicholas Armington
Remedies for Trade Secret Misappropriation
July 27, 2020 | Video | By Nicholas Armington
Playing Keep-Away: Protecting Your Trade Secrets in a Remote Work Environment
July 22, 2020 | Blog | By Adam Samansky, Nicholas Armington
Don’t Get Schooled: What You Can Learn from the Wave of Trade Secret Cases That Followed the 2007-2008 Financial Crisis
July 20, 2020 | Blog | By Adam Samansky, Nicholas Armington
The Trade Secret Seesaw: After the Economy Goes Down, Cases Go Up
July 15, 2020 | Blog | By Adam Samansky, Nicholas Armington
News & Press
The Defend Trade Secrets Act: A Powerful New Tool for Employers
October 25, 2016
Events
Trade Secret Threat Looms Due to Economic Downturn: Protecting and enforcing trade secrets in the COVID era
View the Webinar Recording

Trade Secrets: The Legal and Economic Implications of DTSA
Berkeley Research Group, 1800 M Street NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC

The Defend Trade Secrets Act: Rising Developments and Trends Employers Should Know
The Knowledge Group
Webinar
