We served as co-lead counsel for Versata Software, Inc. in securing a $105 million jury verdict for trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract against Ford Motor Company in Detroit. Our team handled critical aspects of the case, including key depositions, summary judgment motions, pretrial motions, and liability analysis, which were instrumental in achieving this significant victory. At trial, we effectively presented Versata’s key witnesses on liability, simplifying complex technical evidence for the Detroit jury. Our cross-examinations of Ford’s corporate representative and technical expert exposed significant flaws in Ford’s defense. We successfully demonstrated to the jury, in Ford’s own backyard, that the company had copied and misused Versata’s valuable software technology, ultimately saving millions in warranty, recall, and vehicle design costs. The jury found that Ford had copied, misused, and reverse engineered Versata’s software following a fifteen-year business relationship. This verdict was recognized as one of the top verdicts of 2022 by the Texas Lawbook and the Houston Chronicle.
Ford Motor Co. v. Versata Software, Inc.; Case No. 15-10628MFL-EAS; In the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
