Court advances Joby trade-secret suit, dismisses Archer counterclaims

A federal magistrate judge, Susan van Keulen, ruled in early June that the core of Joby Aviation's trade-secret lawsuit against rival Archer Aviation and former Joby employee George Kivork can proceed - centered on a confidential real-estate developer agreement - while dismissing Archer's counterclaims in their entirety as 'impermissible shotgun pleadings,' with leave to amend by June 29. Both eVTOL developers claimed partial victory; Joby may amend its complaint by June 22, and the procedural reset keeps the closely watched corporate-espionage fight between the two leading U.S. air-taxi companies alive. The ruling lands as both race through FAA type certification ahead of planned 2026 commercial launches.