Litigating Trade Secret Theft

• Client: Private company
• Date: 2006
• Location: Chicago, Illinois

Summary:

A company with nationwide operations had a confidentiality breach that threatened its ability to compete, and turned to Schiff Hardin for help. One of their key sales executives had resigned and taken critical confidential and proprietary information with him to a competing company. Our attorneys had a deep understanding of the client's business, and our intellectual property litigators immediately filed a complaint and motion for Temporary Restraining Order and injunction in federal court.

Within days, the court granted our motion and an order directing expedited discovery. The former employee not only admitted he downloaded material from his company-issued computer to his thumb drive, but also admitted that once at his new employer's offices - one of our client's competitors - he destroyed the evidence. On the strength of the case built by Schiff Hardin, the court entered an agreed order permanently enjoining the former employee from using any of our client's confidential and proprietary information.

Since the successful conclusion of this trade secrets matter, this company continues to turn to Schiff Hardin for matters ranging from corporate issues, mergers and acquisitions, insurance coverage advice, property damage litigation and complex environmental matters.