Trade Secrets

What Is a Trade Secret? How to Protect One and Where to Start

Confidentiality agreements, protective policies, and misappropriation litigation that keep your formulas, processes, and data yours, handled by registered attorneys at a flat fee quoted before we begin.

A trade secret is valuable business information that stays protected only as long as you keep it secret: a formula, a process, a method, a customer list, a strategy. Leavitt and Eldredge define what qualifies, build the agreements and policies that guard it, and sue when someone takes it. Flat fees, registered attorneys, every quote in writing before we start.

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A trade secret fills the gap to protect anything else not covered by other forms of intellectual property like patents, trademarks, or copyright. It includes the information that provides your business with independent economic value and sets you apart from competitors. A trade secret can consist of a process, a formula, a marketing or business strategy, a device, technique, or a specific method. Losing and leaving this important information unprotected can be an expensive mistake.

Leavitt & Eldredge is committed to preserving the growth and survival of our clients’ businesses. Our tailored representation includes both preventative and litigation components to fully protect our clients’ assets. If you need legal assistance developing contracts that will protect your business’ information or believe your trade secrets have been disclosed without your authorization, contact our trade secret attorneys today.

HOW OUR EXPERIENCED LAWYERS CAN HELP YOU DEFEND YOUR TRADE SECRETS

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Our trade secret lawyers serve business professionals, entrepreneurs, and companies from diverse industries. We work closely with you to create systems that ensure your proprietary information is legally protected with contractual documents and deliver aggressive litigation in court when necessary.

Providing Legal Counsel On Proactive Countermeasures

Our trade secret attorneys can help you protect your business from unauthorized disclosure and use of its proprietary information. We will help you define which materials qualify as protectable trade secrets and take the steps necessary to maintain confidentiality by drafting and reviewing employment agreements that address trade secret protection, noncompetition, and nondisclosure. Our law firm can also help design and implement procedures and policies that protect your sensitive business information from misappropriation and loss.

Providing Legal Counsel On Proactive Countermeasures

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As an intellectual property law firm with decades of experience, we understand the nuances of all stages of litigation and deliver prompt responses and skilled legal advice. Our trade secret attorneys have the resources, knowledge, and skills necessary to achieve the best possible results for our clients in trade secret and business litigation matters. If your business has experienced unauthorized disclosure and use of trade secrets, our lawyers can help you take legal action against whoever violated a non-compete or a non-disclosure agreement.

Contact our law firm today to discuss your intellectual property case. Our trade secret lawyers serve Arlington, Dallas, and Fort Worth, as well as the metropolitan areas of Houston and Austin.

CONTACT OUR TRADE SECRET ATTORNEYS TODAY

Leavitt & Eldredge Law Firm recognizes the importance of protecting the secrecy of innovation and the critical role of retaining effective trade secret representation for your business’ continued success. Our lawyers are skilled at managing complex and multiparty trade secret litigation in a swift and effective manner and tailor our strategy to meet your business needs. Contact our law firm today to learn more about your legal rights and options pertaining to trade secrets.

Learn More On How to OBTAIN a trade secret.

Common questions

Frequently asked

What qualifies as a trade secret?
A trade secret is information that gives your business economic value because it is not generally known, and that you take reasonable steps to keep secret. It can be a formula, a manufacturing process, source code, a pricing model, a customer or supplier list, or a marketing strategy. Unlike a patent, it can last indefinitely, but only while it stays confidential.
How is a trade secret different from a patent?
A patent makes your invention public in exchange for a limited monopoly, usually 20 years, then anyone can use it. A trade secret is never disclosed and has no expiration, so it protects things you can keep hidden, like a recipe or an internal process. The tradeoff is that a trade secret gives no protection once the information leaks or is independently discovered.
How do I protect my trade secrets?
Protection comes from reasonable safeguards you can prove later. That usually means non-disclosure and non-compete agreements, confidentiality clauses in employment contracts, limited access on a need-to-know basis, and clear internal policies. Our attorneys help you identify which materials qualify, draft the agreements, and put procedures in place so the information stays legally protected.
What can I do if someone steals my trade secret?
If a former employee, partner, or competitor misappropriates your confidential information, you can pursue legal action under state and federal trade secret law. Remedies can include injunctions to stop further use, monetary damages, and in some cases attorney fees. We move quickly to preserve evidence and can seek an emergency order to keep the information from spreading.
Do I need a written agreement to protect confidential information?
Yes, in almost every case. Courts look for the reasonable steps you took to keep the information secret, and written agreements are the clearest proof. Non-disclosure agreements, non-competes, and confidentiality terms in employment contracts show that employees and partners knew the information was protected. Without them, defending a trade secret becomes much harder.

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