Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid Managing Your Company’s Trade Secrets

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Whether you’re running a newly minted start-up or leading an established corporation, genuine trade secrets will almost always provide your company with a competitive edge in the marketplace under both federal and state law. But you must handle them properly. Unfortunately, that edge can deteriorate, or vanish entirely, if your company makes one or more …Read more

California Ban on Mandatory Arbitration Permitted by Ninth Circuit

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In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently reversed a district court’s order enjoining the enforcement of California Assembly Bill 51 (“AB51”), which is codified as Labor Code section 432.6. The statute prohibits requiring arbitration of California Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) and Labor Code claims as a …Read more

Continuing the Family Business After Its Founder Dies

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Managing a family business is difficult enough when the founding generation is still alive. When the founders pass, however, the legal, business and family issues become much more complex because the adult decision makers that everyone relied upon, respected, and listened to, are gone. The children of Robert Smith – Mary, Josh and Matthew – …Read more

How to Better Run Your Family Owned Business

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Defining and navigating roles and responsibilities in any business is fundamental to the success of that enterprise. To create a culture of professionalism and accountability, every member of the team must have distinct and clear responsibilities. This is often easier said than done in the unique environments that frequently define family businesses. Often, a family …Read more

How to Avoid the “Accidental” Business Ownership Lawsuit

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Founders of privately owned companies somehow always find creative ways to create conflicts among the owners – or would-be owners – of their business ventures. Our attorneys have seen our fair share of disputes among the owners of private partnerships, corporations or limited liability companies. Some disputes arise from a misunderstanding over a particular person …Read more

Apple Sues Former Product Designer Who Allegedly Stole Trade Secrets

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The value of trade secrets never escapes a well-run company. To that end, Apple Inc. has sued a former product designer claiming that he stole the company’s trade secrets to help his new employer, Arris Composites, and then leaked those secrets to the media to advance his own financial interests. The designer, Simon Lancaster, worked …Read more

Ecolab Sues Former Employee For Allegedly Stealing Trade Secrets

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In another high profile trade secret case, water treatment giant Ecolab, Inc. sued one of its former marketing managers, Preston Alexander, and his new company, One Degree Medical, alleging they stole trade secrets to set up a competing business in violation of both the employees’ employment agreement, and state and federal trade secrets laws. EcoLab’s …Read more

Courts Differ on Where Website Operators are Subject to Personal Jurisdiction

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Courts are increasingly being asked to decide when website operators are subject to personal jurisdiction in a particular state, a potentially vexing problem because websites generally lack a specific location and can be accessed from almost anywhere on the globe. In June 2020, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, in UMG Recordings, Inc. v. …Read more

How Founders of New Companies Can Protect Against Personal Liability

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Starting a business can be the first step in a thrilling adventure, one that you have perhaps dreamed of for years. But as you start your venture you’re mildly terrified of the outcome. When launching a new business, budding entrepreneurs can hardly slow down long enough to do the bare minimum of forming the proper …Read more

Grand Jury Indicts Chinese Energy Company and Affiliates on Trade Secret Charges

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Another new indictment alleging misappropriation of U.S. oil and gas trade secrets by a Chinese energy company, its U.S. based affiliate, and an executive officer was recently handed down by the U.S. Department of Justice. It is another example in a recent string of trade secret charges involving Chinese companies and Chinese nationals operating in …Read more