Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets

In a world where loyalty has become a four-letter word, and tomorrow's biggest competitor may be sitting two doors down from you today, protecting your human and intellectual capital has become a major priority. And while you cannot patent your clients or business processes, you can protect them. At Littler, safeguarding the ideas and people that drive your business' success is the cornerstone of our Unfair Competition and Trade Secret Practice (UCTS) Group.

As the nation's largest firm devoted exclusively to employment and labor law, we are in the unique position to counsel and represent employers in disputes involving unfair competition, trade secrets, improper intellectual property disclosure, and covenants not to compete. We understand not only the business ramifications of these situations, but also the employment implications. Our UCTS Group regularly represents businesses from all industries in the following ways:

• helping clients to respond quickly and decisively in matters involving potential trade secret theft, confidential information disclosure, customer and employee raiding, and violations of covenants not to compete;
• working with companies on employment investigations, including evaluating their options, getting into court immediately (when necessary), addressing the problem; and dealing with temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions; and
• assisting businesses in drafting enforceable confidentiality agreements and noncompete agreements, including nonsolicitation clauses, tailored to their particular jurisdictions and needs.

We frequently counsel companies about how to hire employees from competitors without finding themselves at the receiving end of a lawsuit. And we are regularly sought out by such esteemed institutions as the ABA and BNA as authors and lecturers on the subject of unfair competition and trade secret litigation.

To learn more about the Firm's capabilities and experience, contact your Littler attorney or the Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets Practice Group Chairs:

Marguerite S. Walsh
Paul J. Kennedy