A partner in the Litigation Department, Pietro Signoracci has litigated a broad range of complex civil and commercial matters, including litigation arising from trade secret misappropriation, employment contract disputes, enforcement of restrictive covenants and unfair competition; commercial contract disputes; product liability, consumer fraud and negligence claims; securities-related disputes; antitrust disputes; and distressed sovereign debt.
Pietro regularly advises employers and executives on contract enforcement and litigation risk, the implementation of restrictive covenant programs, and the negotiation of executive exits and separation agreements, with a focus on non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements.
Pietro also has extensive experience representing clients in investigations and enforcement proceedings brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission and state securities regulators.
Pietro’s recent experience includes:
- IBM in several litigations including:
- in the favorable settlement of a high-profile multibillion-dollar contract dispute brought against GlobalFoundries, alleging, among other claims, fraud and breach of technology and supply agreements related to the parties' long-term technology alliance to develop and manufacture the next generation of high-performance computer chips;
- in winning a preliminary injunction after an evidentiary hearing, affirmed on appeal by the 2nd Circuit, prohibiting a former senior executive from commencing a competing leadership position at a competing technology company in breach of a noncompetition agreement. Paul, Weiss previously secured a TRO to prevent the executive from starting in the competitive role and at the evidentiary hearing proved that the former executive was privy to some of IBM’s most competitively sensitive trade secrets and, absent an injunction, IBM would suffer irreparable injury; and
- in several recent and ongoing non-compete matters regarding the enforcement of post-employment restrictive covenants.
- Kaseya, a global provider of AI-powered cybersecurity and IT management software, in a Delaware Chancery action against Project Orca, Inc. d/b/a Slide, alleging tortious interference with non-competition, customer non-solicitation, and employee non-solicitation contractual obligations.
- A healthcare executive in defending an action brought by her former employer seeking enforcement of a twelve‑month non‑competition provision following the executive’s departure to join another employer, alleging breach of post‑employment restrictive covenants and threatened misuse of confidential and trade secret information.
- A senior life sciences executive in litigating and trying a case brought by his former employer alleging breach of employment and equity agreements following the executive’s acceptance of a senior management position at an alleged competitor in the life sciences market.
- A healthcare company in a dispute with a competitor concerning alleged theft of trade secrets and inducement to violate a non-competition agreement.
In addition to his commercial practice, Pietro frequently represents clients in state and federal habeas corpus proceedings and prisoners’ rights cases. He has litigated a number of voting rights cases, including on behalf of or alongside the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, and on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus.
