On January 9, 2025, Weil secured a victory for Lunan Pharmaceutical Group, a large, integrated global pharmaceutical company, when a Boston federal jury returned a verdict in Lunan’s favor as part of a nearly nine-year dispute over control of Lunan that has spawned litigation across multiple jurisdictions, including the British Virgin Islands and China.

The dispute stemmed from claims by an individual who asserted that her father built Lunan into one of China’s leading pharmaceutical companies and, shortly before his death, transferred to her – without a will and through an offshore trust – company shares purportedly worth approximately $500 million. The individual sought to establish her claim and become Lunan’s largest shareholder by enlisting company insiders to obtain Lunan’s confidential, nonpublic financial information. She then used portions of that information to persuade a British Virgin Islands court that she was entitled to the alleged ownership interest.

After years of litigation, the Court ruled that the individual had violated Massachusetts trade secret law, and the jury determined that Lunan was entitled to damages resulting from the misappropriation. As the Court explained, “the law does not permit a litigant to take matters into their own hands.”

At trial, the Weil team demonstrated that the individual (1) exploited insiders’ loyalty to her late father, (2) induced their cooperation through promises of increased influence and advancement and (3) diverted sensitive company information via screenshots, private messaging platforms and emails sent to her husband’s account.

The Weil trial team was led by Complex Commercial Litigation partner Adam Gershenson and associate Audrey Pope, working alongside co-counsel at Cooley LLP and Kirton McConkie.