Trade secrets

Overview

Intellectual property is not just patents, copyrights and trademarks. In some instances, trade secret protection is the most accessible and viable option for safe-guarding your business’s proprietary information. Whether it be a recipe, technological know-how, strategic pricing plans, software, or a manufacturing process, properly protecting these valuable assets as a trade secret can provide the peace of mind and competitive advantage your business needs to thrive.

One of the most critical aspects of a trade secret is in the name—it must be kept secret. The steps your business takes to maintain the secrecy of your information will be the deciding factor in whether the protections of the trade secret laws apply. McDonald Hopkins can identify what at your business should be labeled trade secrets and help you take the appropriate steps to ensure that your valuable information is protected. Our attorneys regularly work with clients to develop internal and external policies and procedures for maintaining the secrecy of proprietary information, lead employee training sessions, and draft and negotiate employment, consulting, and development agreements.

And when your business assets are threatened, we have substantial experience with trade secret enforcement under the Defend Trade Secrets Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Unfair Competition laws, and other state and federal law regimes.

At McDonald Hopkins, we utilize all of the available tools for businesses to protect and enforce their hard-won technical, business, and other strategic information. We take a comprehensive approach to our clients’ intellectual property strategy, evaluating all forms of protection—including trade secrets—to develop procurement, enforcement, and monetization plans that add real value to our clients’ businesses.