The loss of trade secrets and other confidential information costs businesses billions of dollars each year. Protecting that information requires establishing sound practices, procedures, and policies to maintain confidentiality and reduce the prospect of misappropriation. It also requires being prepared to address breaches that occur, and to respond to claims by competitors. Our trade secrets team, including members of our data security, privacy, IP, trade, white collar, employment, corporate, insurance, public policy, and crisis management practices, advise clients on protecting their business-critical information and litigating trade secret disputes as they occur.
Gaining and maintaining the full benefit of proprietary information requires legal counsel experienced in counseling, licensing, and litigating trade secret matters, and steeped in the interplay between industry and trade secret and patent, standard setting, privacy, and antitrust law. Covington’s experience in these key areas translates into a unique strategic advantage for its clients. For example, Covington led the legislative effort to enact the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act, representing the Protect Trade Secrets Coalition of industry leaders in the technology, life sciences, manufacturing, and oil and gas sectors.
Capabilities
- Combining our deep understanding of the relevant law and industries and our collaborative culture, our team advises clients on issues including:
- intellectual property portfolio and trade secret assessments
- development of comprehensive compliance programs and incentives
- risk management, mitigation, and insurance coverage
- internal investigations
- incident response and disclosure
- crisis management
We routinely advise clients regarding the assessment and protection of trade secrets in the context of corporate transactions, teaming, vendor and subcontracting arrangements, employment relationships, and litigation.
Covington trade secret litigators are successful because they combine sound tactical judgment and trial experience honed over years of experience litigating trade secret matters as well as advising clients on the creation, maintenance, and protection of confidential information across a wide range of industries. We have litigated major trade secret matters in federal and state trial and appellate courts across the United States, and before the Federal Trade Commission and the International Trade Commission.