Trade Secret

The secret formula for Coke or the original herbs and spices of Kentucky Fried Chicken.  The plans for a new product.  Your company’s customer lists and its strategic planning documents.  These are all examples of potential trade secrets, and the law is set up so that when people make reasonable attempts to keep their important business secrets confidential, those secrets stay secret.

Trade secret issues do not arise only in cloak-and-dagger scenarios in which a corporate spy pilfers a document from a company safe.  Instead, your trade secrets may be at risk when you share technical information with a client who also does business with your competitor.  You might find yourself defending against a trade secret claim when you hire an employee from another company.

Trade secret law brings up many questions, not the least of which are:  what qualifies as a trade secret; and, how careful does one have to be to keep her trade secret protected under the law?  Whether you are a potential plaintiff or defendant in a trade secret suit, we can help you sort out all of the questions to get you and your company the best results.  We can also counsel you on how to keep your trade secrets protected and what actions may or may not violate the trade secret rights of others.

For more information on our trade secret practice, send us an e-mail at tradesecret@newbergwinters.com.