Patrick M. Curran

Patrick Curran advocates for and advises employers in nearly every area of labor and employment law. He has particular expertise in the litigation and arbitration of labor and employment disputes, and has represented employers before state and federal courts and administrative agencies in a broad range of matters including the alleged violation of non-solicitation, non-competition, and confidentiality agreements, theft of trade secrets, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, wrongful termination, and violation of federal and state wage and hour, anti-discrimination, and anti-retaliation laws.

Mr. Curran also has extensive experience representing clients in alternative dispute resolution proceedings, including arbitration, mediation, and agency conciliation, and counsels employers on a wide variety of employee relations issues, including non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements, employee handbooks and policies, employment agreements, terminations, and compliance with federal and state employment laws.

Education:

• J.D., cum laude, Georgetown University Law Center, 1998
• M.A., College of William and Mary, 1994
• A.B., cum laude, Bowdoin College, 1991

Admitted to Practice:

• Maryland
• District of Columbia
• U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
• U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

Experience

Mr. Curran has represented clients in numerous lawsuits involving the alleged theft of trade secrets, violation of confidentiality and fiduciary obligations, and breach of non-competition or non-solicitation agreements. In 2012, for example, Mr. Curran represented a medical research supply company in its lawsuit against a former employee and his new employer alleging theft of trade secrets and breach of a non-solicitation and confidentiality agreement.

In late 2012, the federal district court granted our client’s motion for a preliminary injunction, and the lawsuit settled favorably shortly thereafter. Likewise, in 2011, Mr. Curran represented a professional search firm and its employee against a lawsuit filed by the search firm’s competitor (and the employee’s former employer), alleging breach of a non-competition agreement and unfair and deceptive business practices.

In 2011 and 2012, furthermore, Mr. Curran assisted a medical device manufacturer as counsel in separate lawsuits alleging theft of trade secrets and breach of restrictive covenants; both cases settled shortly after the respective courts granted our client’s preliminary injuntion motions.

In addition to litigating restrictive convenant claims, Mr. Curran has also counseled clients extensively concerning the drafting, implementation, and enforceability of non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements.

Mr. Curran has successfully represented a number of clients against claims brought by their former employees alleging that they were terminated wrongfully, in breach of public policy or of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

In 2010 and 2011, for example, courts dismissed claims against our clients in two such cases – one on a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, and the other on a motion for summary judgment.

The 2011 case included claims for violation of the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, based on allegations that our client had violated the plaintiff’s rights to privacy and freedom of speech; those claims were dismissed on our client’s motion for summary judgment as well.

Professional Activities:

• American Bar Association
• Boston Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association (Executive Committee, Massachusetts Chapter)