Trade Secrets Attorney in Washington, D.C.
Businesses are more complex than just the services they provide. They have plenty of documents and agreements that must be kept confidential. Trade secrets are the differentiator in a business market and usually involve processes and strategies used in business operations. If you have signed a non-disclosure agreement or wish for your employees to do so, get in touch first with a Washington trade secrets attorney.
Trade secrets are necessary knowledge to impart to other parties including employees, other businesses, and investors. However, there have been incidences of trade secrets being leaked and thus strategies becoming common knowledge or known to the public. Learn the best way to protect your trade secrets from disclosure with the help of a trade secrets lawyer in Washington, D.C. who can guide you in trade secret law.
Trusted Trade Secrets Attorney from Washington, D.C.
Trade secrets use different kinds of trade secret contracts throughout the business’ life. The role of a trade secrets attorney is to help you better understand the right way to use each document, from drafting to litigation should it be necessary. An attorney can help safeguard your business strategies. An attorney can also help with medical trade secrets to protect your medical institution’s business practices.
Get in touch with a trade secrets attorney from War IP Law, PLLC, a Washington D.C. law firm. The firm’s seasoned attorney can explain the concept of trade secrets to you and assist you in drafting agreements. Apart from that an attorney from War IP law, PLLC, can also help you with intellectual property law and copyright law. Schedule an appointment with a Washington, D.C. trade secrets attorney right now.
Why Do I Need a Trade Secrets Attorney in Washington, D.C.?
When involved in a business, you might be wondering what is trade secrets and why is it significant? More importantly, why is it that you need an attorney in order to sort out matters involving trade secrets? Firstly, having a business is already hard work and to have your techniques and strategies, the business’ differentiator leaked out to the public can be disheartening. This is where an attorney can help.
Assessment of the Weight of the Situation
If you think your trade secrets have been stolen or leaked to the public, wait no longer. Get in touch with a trade secrets attorney from War IP Law, PLLC. A lawyer from the firm will listen to your case attentively and thoroughly review your situation to assess the best possible course of action. A reliable trade secrets attorney in Washington, D.C. can also explain what trade secrets is, trade secret misappropriation, and the agreements involved to you in a language you can better understand to help you fully grasp trade secrets law.
Reinforcement of Legal Information to Clients
Lastly, a trade secrets attorney can arm you with the necessary legal information you would need in your trade secrets case to implement secret protection. War IP Law, PLLC provides ongoing assistance for their clients in their time of need. Arm yourself in the incidence that your trade secrets have been leaked by enlisting legal help. Schedule a consultation with a trade secrets attorney from Washington, D.C. right now to enforce stricter secret protection.
What is Trade Secrets?
Trade secrets are a kind of intellectual property that acts as a differentiator for businesses, something that makes them unique. Trade secrets may take the form of patterns, devices, recipes, processes, formulas, and many others. Typically, trade secrets provide the owner of the information with an advantage in the market and are expected to prevent it from being disclosed to the public.
As mentioned, examples include formulas, recipes, inventions, marketing strategies, and algorithms. While they are a form of intellectual property, what sets them apart from copyright and trademark is their DIY method. The DIY nature of these secrets makes it unnecessary to register with the government.
What are the Contracts and Confidentiality Agreements in Trade Secrets?
Trade secrets involve many legally binding documents that can be used by businesses to safeguard their trade secrets. The document type and filing process depend on the secret that is being shared. These documents control the use and disclosure of the information shared.
The most notable contracts and agreements in trade secrets include
Non-Compete Agreements
This agreement applies to employees who will be receiving company information. Non-compete agreements include a period of time wherein it is in effect.
Non-Disclosure Agreement
NDAs are part of employment agreements and are also useful for outside parties that need to know what the trade secrets of the company they will be working with are. NDAs are bilateral, meaning that both parties must keep the information confidential.
Non-Solicitation Agreements
Also generally known as No Poaching agreements can be used to keep a former employee or employees from stealing new employees for their new business ventures that could possibly be a competitor. This also discourages unfair competition.
These are the three agreements that are usually signed when talking about trade secrets. If you wish to better understand what is trade secrets and how to safeguard your business, get in touch with a Washington trade secrets attorney.
How Do Businesses Protect their Trade Secrets?
Safeguarding an alleged trade secret doesn’t take effect by calling it so. A business must take all measures to protect its information from theft. While extraordinary measures to protect trade secrets are quite rare, there is still an urgency placed on protecting any information you regard as confidential for your business against any acquisition, especially by improper means.
Certain reasonable measures businesses can take to protect trade secrets from trade secret theft include
- Marking documents confidential
- Locking important information away
- Maintaining security on devices
- Restricting access to secret information, providing it only to people who need to know it
- Using non-disclosure agreements is a great way to maintain the secrecy of trade secrets.
Enlist the legal advice of a trade secrets lawyer in Washington, D.C. to know how you can draft agreements between you and your keyholders or employees. Schedule a 30-min “no hassle” consultation with War IP Law today!
How Do Businesses Enforce Their Rights In Times of Information Theft?
Each state has varying laws regarding the theft or disclosure of trade secret information. The Uniform Trade Secrets Act is a model by legal scholars that is the basis of trade secrets law. State laws in the United States have adopted their version of the UTSA. According to the UTSA, trade secret owners can enforce rights against another individual who steals confidential information by asking the court to order an injunction. An injunction exists to prevent further disclosure of the secrets.
A trade secret owner also has the right to collect damages for any economic injury suffered due to the improper acquisition and disclosure. Washington, D.C. state law adapts the model of the UTSA. If you are wondering what is trade secrets and how it can help your business in Washington, D.C, get in touch with a trade secrets attorney at War IP Law, PLLC who is well-versed in intellectual property rights immediately.
Types of Trade Secret Lawsuits
The DTSA or the Defend Trade Secrets Act has built-in protections for individuals who have been accused of trade secret theft, these individuals usually being former employees of the corporation. Among these include:
- Hearings In Cases of Seizures. If the trade secret owner orders a seizure, a hearing must be held within 7 days of the order wherein the trade secret owner must prove beyond doubt the legal and factual basis of the seizure.
- Employee Injunctions. There are limits on injunctions set by the DTSA against old employees, especially in cases when an employer seeks to prevent a former employee from entering another employment.
- Fees for Bad Faith. A defendant accused of misappropriation can recover fees from an owner who made claims in bad faith.
The DTSA includes provisions that could affect the disclosure of trade secrets by preventing disclosures at trial and within court opinions unless the secret owner has been oriented on the intended disclosure.
What is the Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine?
There are cases wherein companies prevent former employees from working for a competitor if they can prove that it will lead to a leakage of secrets. This is where the inevitable disclosure doctrine comes in. Certain states have rejected this since it interferes with an employee’s right to switch employers. Courts have refused this doctrine unless there is evidence that disclosure of trade secrets will take place.
Speak with our Washington trade secrets lawyer today to know your rights to enforce the doctrine to your key holders in the company. You have the right to protect the very foundation of your business. Contact War IP Law, PLLC today!
Call our Trade Secrets Attorney in Washington, D.C. Now!
Learning about what is trade secrets is the first step to safeguarding your business’ crucial information. Steps one can take in order to protect their business include signing documents such as non-disclosure agreements, non-solicitation agreements, and non-compete agreements that make sure company secrets don’t spill out in the open. However, if you wish to take stricter measures on protecting trade secrets, enlisting the help of a Washington trade secrets attorney is the best step to take.
Get in touch with a trade secrets attorney from War IP Law, PLLC. An attorney from the law firm can offer sound legal advice on patent protection from industrial espionage to the proper means of drafting a confidentiality agreement. An attorney can also take your case to federal court and offer litigation should the need arise. Schedule an appointment with a trade secrets attorney and safeguard your business by maintaining confidentiality.
