News & Analysis as of

Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) Employment Contract

Baker Donelson

Top Developments in Trade Secret Law

Baker Donelson on

In the ever-evolving landscape of intellectual property law, trade secrets have emerged as a crucial area of focus, particularly in light of recent uncertainties as to the enforceability of non-competes. Since August 2023,...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Texas Federal Court Strikes Down FTC Ban on Non - Competes in Ryan v. FTC

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

The long awaited collision between the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the varied political and legal opinions on the legality of Employment Non-Compete Agreements (Non-Competes) is now moving up the ladder of...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Seismic Shift in Employment and Intellectual Property Rights: FTC’s Nationwide Ban on Noncompete Agreements

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

30 million is a BIG number! That is the estimated number of employment contracts that could be impacted by the Federal Trade Commission’s new rule banning non-competes, if it goes into effect on September 4, 2024, as...more

Troutman Pepper

Preliminary Injunction Granted Against Former Employees of Wealth Management Firm

Troutman Pepper on

A recent decision by EDVA District Judge Henry Hudson granting a preliminary injunction to a wealth management firm against four of its former employees who left to open a competing firm is a good example of the speed of the...more

Hendershot Cowart P.C.

Life After The FTC Ban: Alternatives To Non-Competes

Hendershot Cowart P.C. on

The FTC's proposed ban on non-compete agreements is still making its way through the legal system, but businesses are already looking for alternatives to protect their interests. Keep in mind that it is not necessarily the...more

Baker Donelson

Trade Secret Protection Plans Provide Certainty to Employers

Baker Donelson on

Baker Donelson recently published an article called "The End of Non-Competition Agreements? Not so Fast!" The article summarizes the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) final rule prohibiting most employers from binding the...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Don't Fret (Yet): Trade Secrets, NDAs and Non-Solicits After the FTC Non-Compete Rule

Holland & Knight LLP on

With the issuance of the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC or Commission) much-anticipated final rule on its "non-compete ban" (see Holland & Knight's previous alert, "New FTC Rule Bans Non-Compete Agreements in All Employment...more

Fisher Phillips

Foul on the Play: 6 Takeaways for Employers as NY Knicks Sue Toronto Raptors for Trade Secret Misappropriation

Fisher Phillips on

The New York Knicks just sued their former employee and his new employer, the Toronto Raptors, in a case that can teach employers a lot about trade secret misappropriation. The August 21 lawsuit accuses their Eastern...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Can Non-Compete Agreements Lead to Jail Time?

Can non-compete agreements lead to criminal fines—or even jail time? Yes, they can. That is because violating the Sherman Antitrust Act can result in criminal charges, not just civil liability....more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Noncompetes in the Crosshairs: Safeguarding the Company's Secret Sauce in the New World of Employee Mobility

Venture capitalists refer to “secret sauce” as the differentiator that gives one startup the edge over competitors. The secret sauce, properly protected, is a trade secret. However, employee turnover can threaten the secret...more

Sunstein LLP

The FTC's Proposed Ban on Non-Compete Agreements: The Effect on Trade Secret Protection

Sunstein LLP on

Many employers in Massachusetts use non-competes to protect their intellectual property. Non-compete agreements may be overly broad for that narrow purpose but their virtue is that it is much easier to detect their violation...more

Sunstein LLP

The Impact that the FTC's Proposed Ban on Non-Compete Agreements will have on Trade Secrets

Sunstein LLP on

Many employers in Massachusetts use non-competes to protect their intellectual property. Non-compete agreements may be overly broad for that narrow purpose but their virtue is that it is much easier to detect their violation...more

Holland & Knight LLP

The "Inevitable Disclosure" Doctrine and the DTSA

Holland & Knight LLP on

The "inevitable disclosure" doctrine permits the plaintiff in a trade secrets case to establish threatened misappropriation by showing that the defendant's new employment will inevitably lead the defendant to rely on the...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Message from Mars: The Drawbacks of Trade Secret Arbitration

Fenwick & West LLP on

On July 6, 2021, a federal court ordered that Mars, Inc.’s trade secret lawsuit against its former executive must be resolved in arbitration. Mars v. Szarzynski is a cautionary example of broad judicial interpretation of...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Reminder to Professional Services Firms – Do Not Take Your Trade Secrets for Granted

For most (if not all) professional services firms, client databases, client contact lists, and information reflecting client preferences are regarded by such firms as trade secrets that are essential to the business. ...more

Lowndes

Here’s What You Need To Know About Protecting Trade Secrets

Lowndes on

What do you do when a key employee leaves and you believe he/she has taken your company’s trade secrets to a competitor? Or when a strategic business partner uses your trade secret information to compete against you?...more

Jones Day

Year-End Review of Key Trade Secret Decisions

Jones Day on

A trade secret is any information used in one's business that derives independent economic value from being kept secret. Unlike patents, trade secrets are protected indefinitely for as long as they remain a secret. Due in...more

Smith Debnam Narron Drake Saintsing & Myers,...

Employers, Beware! United States Senate Introduces Bill to Limit Enforceability of Covenants Not to Compete

Effectively drafted restrictive covenants are valuable tools employers can utilize to protect their proprietary interests. Covenants not to compete and covenants not to solicit an employer’s clients or employees are the most...more

BCLP

Want to Protect Your Trade Secrets? Update Your Employment Agreements!

BCLP on

Since 2016, the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) has provided employers with a federal cause of action against employees, former employees and other bad actors who misappropriate trade secrets.  In addition to injunctive...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

Intellectual Property Considerations and Guidance for Start-Ups: Trade Secrets

Womble Bond Dickinson on

When many people think of trade secrets, they envision something mysterious and legendary—such as the original Coca-Cola formula locked in an Atlanta vault, or Col. Sanders’ recipe for fried chicken. But many companies have...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Pennsylvania’s “Gist of the Action” Doctrine Does Not Preclude Trade Secret Claims

Holland & Knight LLP on

Pittsburgh Logistics (PL) sued its competitor and former employee, alleging that the employee breached his employment agreement by working for the competitor and that he would inevitably disclose PL's confidential and trade...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

[Podcast]: Key Contractual Provisions for Employers to Incorporate in Documents with Confidentiality Covenants

In this episode of The Proskauer Brief, Kate Napalkova, special employee benefits and executive compensation counsel, and associate Oleg Zakatov discuss potential pitfalls that lurk in employment agreements and other employee...more

Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

Zillow Sues Rival Compass Alleging IP Theft And Breach Of Contract Over Its Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, And Cloud...

Switching from defense to offense, Zillow Group, Inc., best known for its residential real estate marketplace technology, recently filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington alleging a...more

Orrick - Trade Secrets Group

Spring Cleaning: Tidying Up Your “Reasonable Efforts” to Maintain Trade Secrets

It’s among an in-house counsel’s worst nightmares. A former business partner, ex-employee, consultant, or competitor has stolen your company’s trade secret information. Company management demands swift action....more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

That’s a Wrap: California Federal Court Grants TRO Against Former Employee for Trade Secret Misappropriation

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

A California federal district court recently granted a temporary restraining order (“TRO”) against a former employee for misappropriating proprietary and confidential information in violation of the Defend Trade Secrets Act...more

94 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 4

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide