Schlumberger/Acacia matter illustrates (former) employee/trade secret/patent issue

From within the article Patent "trolls" worry energy sector



The controversy first began last year when Schlumberger's deputy general counsel for intellectual property, Charlotte Rutherford, left to take a job as senior vice president of Acacia Research Group LLC, which is one of the largest patent monetization firms.

In December, Acacia partnered with Plano-based Dynamic 3D Geosolutions LLC and then, in February, sued Schlumberger for patent infringement in federal court in Austin, Spivey said.

Schlumberger then countered last month by suing Rutherford in state court for allegedly taking trade secret data shortly before leaving the company