More than five years after a small family-owned company based in England filed suit against U.S. construction machinery giant Caterpillar Inc. for breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation of its “Bug coupler” technology (specialized equipment used with hydraulic excavators), the journey has paid off. In December, after an eight-week trial, a jury awarded plaintiff Miller UK Ltd. (“Miller”) $74.6 million in damages (including $49.7 million in exemplary damages); an award that Miller’s attorneys contend is the largest ever under the Illinois Trade Secret Act.