Our attorneys provide representation in litigation, business, real estate, healthcare and governmental law. Interdisciplinary practice groups and industry-based teams provide clients with access to attorneys throughout the firm, regardless of location. On July 30, 2024, the Virginia Court of Appeals (VCA) overturned this unprecedented damages award, ruling that the trial court committed a series of legal and evidentiary errors that warranted a new trial. 1 One of the trial court's most critical errors was its failure to instruct the jury that plaintiff Appian bore the burden of proving that its damages were caused by defendant Pegasystems' misappropriation of trade secrets.