It is a well-known fact that when the economy improves, Employee mobility rises as well. The most valuable employees – those with a specialized skill set and many years of experience in a particular industry – tend to stay within that industry while moving among competitors. Since such employees are usually given access to confidential information as part of their job duties, their move to a rival company often raises a concern of whether they will be sharing that information with their new employer. 

As 2016 was drawing to a close, a number of nationally known companies filed lawsuits to prevent their former employees from working for their competitors and/or sharing their confidential information. In December, Carolina Herrera sued Oscar De La Renta for hiring Herrera’s former Senior VP of Design despite her 6-month non-compete with Herrera. In January, Aria sued its Las Vegas rival, Cosmopolitan, and a former executive, alleging that she took confidential information about Aria’s high-roller clients in order to solicit them for Cosmopolitan. Earlier that month, Zynga, a mobile app gaming power house and creator of Farmville, sued two of its former employees for allegedly taking 14,000 files related to a new game Zynga was developing before going to work for its competitor. These are just a few examples that have received attention in the media.  In reality, similar situations develop all over the country on a daily basis.

In short, in the current market, any successful business, regardless of its size or industry, may be subject to trade Secret theft not from foreign entities, but from its own departing employees. To prevent theft, or minimize the inherent damage that it carries with it, companies must have a process in place for protection of trade secrets and a plan of action for when theft is detected.

I have previously written about the simple steps any company can take to protect its trade secrets. In addition to these preventative steps, companies should be prepared to act quickly if a trade secrets theft is detected or suspected as time is of the essence, and not only from the practical standpoint of preventing dissemination of trade secrets, but from the legal standpoint as well. The more time passes between a company’s discovery of trade secret theft and any legal action, the less likely is the company to obtain an order from the court prohibiting the thief from using or disseminating the information.  Thus, being prepared to act quickly and having the resources to do so, can make e a difference in the company’s ability to stop the thief from sharing its confidential information with others.

Leiza litigates non-compete and trade secrets lawsuits on behalf of COMPANIES and EMPLOYEES in a variety of industries, and knows how such disputes typically play out for both parties. If you need assistance with a non-compete or a trade secret misappropriation situation, contact Leiza for a confidential consultation at [email protected] or (214) 939-4458.