Proprietary business methods and processes, customized software, product specifications, sales information and sensitive marketing data and other confidential business information and methodologies are often among a company's most valuable assets. Unless these assets are proactively protected as "trade secrets," however, they can be lost forever thus jeopardizing a company's competitive advantage.
In order to establish trade secret protection, a company must show, among other things, that it has instituted reasonable safeguards to protect such know-how, processes and methodologies. Our Technology and Intellectual Property attorneys have extensive experience in designing and instituting such safeguards and maximizing our clients' trade secrets through a variety of measures, including by:
- Identifying all relevant trade secret assets
- Developing restrictive "need to know" access and use policies
- Implementing physical safeguards, such as document numbering systems and encryption technologies
- Deploying check in/check out procedures
- Designing email and other electronic communication policies
- Employing employee innovation, invention and other protective agreements
- Using third-party confidentiality and other restrictive agreements
- Considering and implementing other legal safeguards, such as patent protection
Additionally, in the event a client is either confronted with the misappropriation of its trade secrets or an allegation that it has misappropriated the trade secrets of another, our Technology and Intellectual Property litigators have an established track record for zealously and successfully representing our clients.