For many businesses, their most valuable assets include their confidential, proprietary information and the employees who have had access to that information. Companies can lose both their competitive edge and their financial advantage when employees leave and take proprietary information, solicit important clients and customers, or induce other employees to join them.
Our Restrictive Covenants + Trade Secrets Practice, comprised of key labor and employment and intellectual property attorneys, assist employers with meeting the challenge of protecting the vital knowledge, employees, clients and customers that comprise the core of their operations and strategic growth.
What We Do
We help companies avoid devastating losses by advising on how to prohibit employees from misappropriating and unfairly exploiting the company’s proprietary information and trade secrets, and recommend ways to minimize the risk that important customers, clients and employees will be poached when an employee leaves. Working closely with our clients, we:
- Review existing practices and help develop comprehensive trade secret protection and confidentiality programs, policies and procedures
- Craft enforceable confidentiality, trade-secret, non-compete and non-solicitation agreements for our clients to require employees to sign
- Train human resources personnel to minimize exposure and implement and enforce protection protocols
Serving clients in diverse industries, including financial services, technology, media + entertainment, real estate, investment management, biotech, and many others, we tailor each agreement to the specific client, its needs, the protectable interests at issue and the industries and geographic areas in which the client operates.
When an agreement is breached - an employee or collaborator steals proprietary information or a former employee solicits the company’s customers or employees - we take prompt and decisive action to eliminate or minimize any damage that may be caused to our client’s business. When necessary, we enforce our client’s agreements through injunctive proceedings, including obtaining temporary restraining orders, which have the effect of immediately curtailing an employee’s unlawful activity. Our ability to move promptly and effectively in state or federal court to stop employee misconduct provides our clients with an invaluable tool in protecting their vital interests.
