Trade secrets are the information used in a business that makes it different from others. It is also something that if acquired, gives business competitors an opportunity to know the advantages of the rival company’s particular product, system or service over their own. Generally, a trade secret can be a certain chemical compound, a manufacturing process, a way of preserving or treating materials, a machine or other device pattern, a customer list, an unusual recipe or formula. The trade secret owner has the right to prevent several groups of people from using, copying and benefiting from the knowledge of the trade secret without due permission of the owner.
On one hand, our office can assist you to take a proactive approach to ensure secrecy. Our expertise includes developing and negotiating confidentiality agreements or non-compete agreements with employees, partners, suppliers and customers, as well as initiating legal action if your trade secrets have been improperly disclosed to or used by a third party without your permission.
In addition, our attorneys have extensive experience advising clients on avoiding the trade secrets rights of others when developing new products or when hiring from competitors. We help you put into place practices designed to minimize the risk of trade secrets claims being asserted against you, and to maximize your abilities to defend against such claims.