Harmony A. Mappes

Trade-Secret Litigation and Counseling

Whether it be customized software or critical business learnings, clients across industries have valuable trade secrets and are vulnerable to trade-secret misappropriation. Sometimes employees leave and improperly take trade secrets with them to a competitor. Other times, a business deal has gone bad and trade secrets are wrongfully exposed. For both plaintiffs and defendants, Harmony has experience litigating trade-secret disputes across these and other scenarios. Clients trust her to lead them through rapid-paced, intense, high-stakes injunction litigation. In addition to litigation, Harmony advises clients on their trade-secret protection policies and clean-room procedures.

Non-compete and Restrictive Covenant Litigation and Counseling

Harmony regularly represents employers in restrictive covenant disputes, including disputes over the enforceability and scope of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. She has experience on both sides — seeking to enforce restrictive covenants and defending against claims that a covenant was violated. Harmony also represents clients in pre-suit investigations, and making and responding to pre-suit demands. In addition to litigation, Harmony counsels employers on their restrictive covenants and non-disclosure agreements to help them protect some of their most critical assets — talented employees, important intellectual property and key customer relationships. 

Finance Litigation

She litigates disputes between debtors and creditors and represents members of the financial services industry. Her litigation experience includes complex banking disputes, guaranty claims, fraudulent transfer claims, fraud claims, breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims and breach-of-contract claims. Harmony also has extensive experience litigating within bankruptcy proceedings — especially adversary proceedings and contested matters — where she represents financial institutions, creditors, creditor committees, trustees and corporate debtors.

Pro Bono

Harmony maintains an active pro bono practice. Recent representations include:

• Co-led a team of lawyers representing voters in a voting rights case, where Harmony successfully first-chaired the summary judgment hearing, fending off the dispositive motion before a three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
• Prevailed in a bench trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, representing a prisoner in claims against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Following trial, the court entered judgment in our client's favor on three counts of battery and awarded damages.
• Volunteered for Wills for Heroes, to prepare simple wills and other advance health care documents for Indianapolis first responders.