| Trade Secrets (Employment)Protecting trade secrets is core to a company’s survival and deserving of focused attention from companies leaders. We help companies audit their trade secret protection systems and develop and implement best practices. We also:
- Prepare nondisclosure, nonsolicitation and noncompetition agreements with employees, consultants and independent contractors
- Advise on ways to minimize the risk of liability when hiring employers from competitors
- Help companies protect their trade secrets when terminating employees
We handle a high volume of trade secret cases in state and federal courts and in National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) arbitrations. We pursue and defend against a wide range of infringement claims, including computer hacking, employee raiding, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.
Depending on the case, our team can include commercial, employment and IP litigators, each with trade secret litigation experience. We staff and work cases as leanly as possible to help us work efficiently with clients and maintain reasonable case budgets. |
Selected Experience Represented defendant in theft of trade secrets matter. Case settled favorably. (D. Or. 2008) Plaintiff's counsel in action alleging misappropriation of trade secrets and employee raiding against Lehman Brothers and individual defendants recruited by Lehman Brothers. (2008) Plaintiff's counsel in action alleging misappropriation of trade secrets against a senior-level employee who left U.S. Trust to join Morgan Stanley. Case resolved on favorable terms. (2008) Defended a temporary staffing company in a trade secret action. The case was settled favorably after it was established at deposition that no trade secrets had been taken or used. (S.F. Cnty. (Cal.) Super. Ct. 2007) Trademark, false advertising and copyright infringement dispute over defendant's keying search engine advertisements to searches on plaintiff's PROACTIV trademark, and content of defendant's website. Successfully settled. (C.D. Cal. 2007) Obtained restraining order and injunction enforcing noncompetition agreement against former division manager attempting to work for competitor in Florida. 07-2-11180-8 (King Cnty. (Wash.) Super. Ct. 2007) Obtained preliminary injunction on behalf of Kelly Services related to trade secret and noncompete claims. (King Cnty. (Wash.) Super. Ct. 2007) Lead defense counsel in action alleging misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition and breach of contract. Obtained dismissal with prejudice on behalf of client. (2007) Successfully defended Pitney Bowes against competitor's allegations of unfair competition and violations of Consumer Protection Act. Cause No. 05-2-29988-6 (King Cnty. (Wash.) Super. Ct. 2007) Successfully negotiated dismissal of trademark and other claims against co-defendant DiscMakers Inc. in dispute involving alleged wrongful appropriation of sound recordings by other co-defendants. (C.D. Cal. 2005) Obtained preliminary injunction and summary judgment for Pacific Aerospace on its claims for breach of confidentiality and nonsolicitation agreements; obtained contempt sanctions in excess of $200,000 for defendants' failure to honor the resulting consent decree. 295 F. Supp. 2d 1188 & 295 F. Supp. 2d 1205 (E.D. Wash. 2003) | | Search Experience | | | |  |
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