Colton Long is an experienced litigator and trusted business advisor who helps companies anticipate, prevent, and resolve complex disputes arising from the employer–employee relationship. Colton’s litigation practice sits at the intersection of business competition and employment law, with a national practice leading in-court and arbitration matters involving trade secret protection, business-to-business and executive-to-business restrictive covenants, and business torts. In his counseling practice, Colton operates as a trusted advisor for his clients, drawing on his broad exposure to nationwide personnel challenges to craft practical, tailored guidance that balances legal risk with operational realities. Colton works hand-in-hand with clients to understand their business model, workforce dynamics (domestic and international), and risk profile, and then designs practical guardrails to enhance business-personnel relationships and enable growth. Colton’s first priority is building positive working relationships with clients, instilling trust, and working proactively to take complex legal issues head on.
Core Focus Areas
- Competition litigation focused on human capital matters, such as mass data theft, “acquihire” activities, fiduciary duty violations, fraud, and related business torts
- Whistleblower investigations, counseling, and litigation
- Executive compensation, agreements, and negotiations
- Workforce restructuring and transactions
- AI in the workforce and its implementation in the practice of law
Representative Experience
- Secured favorable emergency equitable relief, verdicts, awards, orders, and judgments nationwide in matters involving trade secret misappropriation, executive-level post-employment restrictive covenant violations, misrepresentation, and duty of loyalty violations
- Regularly advise on and craft executive-level employment, data/trade secret protection, and post-relationship restriction agreements compliant with the maze of state, federal, and local laws applicable to national and international businesses
- Lead C-level and board-commissioned investigations into executive whistleblower allegations
- Perform human capital-based due diligence on investment and acquisition matters to reduce investor risk, enhance target value, and promote post-close integration