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 […]
10 Tips for Managing Your Business During the Coronavirus Pandemic
While we all struggle with the unknown implications of the Coronavirus on our families, friends, and business associates, there are some things a company may wish to consider doing to address the impacts of conducting business in this financially distressed climate. Here are 10 tips you may wish to consider: 1. Maintain Communication with Clients, Customers, […]
Proactively Protecting Your Company’s Trade Secrets from Theft by Employees
A few years ago, the Symantec Corporation and Ponemon Institute released the results of a survey of employees working for companies in six countries, including the U.S., Brazil, China, France, Korea and United Kingdom. The results were remarkable. They should place every chief executive on notice of the risks of data security breaches her company […]
Drafting Your Employment Application? Avoid These Common Employer Mistakes.
Almost every employer in the country uses a form of employment application to screen prospective hires. While they may seem innocuous, these forms often contain a minefield of traps employers must be aware of or risk legal liability. A general theme of federal and state laws is that employers should avoid asking an applicant questions […]
Independent Contractor or Employee? How to Choose Properly
One of the most common ways an employer gets into hot water is to improperly classify an employee as an independent contractor (“IC”). This is an important issue for businesses for a few reasons. There is no single, simple rule you can use to determine the proper employment status of an individual you hire to […]