shutterstock_128025575Robert B. Milligan, partner of Seyfarth’s Litigation department and co-chair of the firm’s Trade Secrets, Computer Fraud & Non-Competes practice group, is a moderator on an upcoming webinar presented by The American Bar Association’s IP Law section. The webinar, titled “Trade Secret Protection Best Practices: Hiring Competitors’ Employees and Protecting the Company When Competitors Hire Yours”, will take place on March 15, 2016 from 1:00 – 2:30 pm ET.In today’s highly mobile and competitive world, employees frequently move between companies within the same industry. Rarely a day goes by without a news report of another high-profile theft of important data from a company, or the loss of key employees to competitors. Employee mobility, coupled with the digitalization of company assets, has increased the need for creative and thoughtful protections of valuable company data. It has become extremely easy for employees, especially disgruntled or irresponsible ones, to take and disseminate confidential information to the detriment of their current and former employers. The need to protect company trade secrets and other confidential data against departing employees and to follow best practices when hiring a competitor’s employees has never been greater.

The esteemed panel will present a lively discussion that focuses on:

  • Best practices when hiring new employees
  • Proper employee onboarding – a cradle to grave approach
  • Employing effective non-disclosure and invention assignment agreements and computer access and bring your own device policies
  • Best practices for protecting your company when employees depart
  • Proper exit interview techniques and certifications
  • Reducing risk of disclosure of trade secrets in social media and via online repositories and other electronic means
  • Identifying the unauthorized taking/disclosure of trade secrets through the use of digital forensics
  • Discussion of recent cases/legislation
  • The current circuit split on the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
  • Trade secret preemption
  • Forum selection/choice of law clauses

Mr. Milligan will be joined by John Francis Marsh (Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP), Pamela S. Passman (President and CEO at CREATe.org) and Russell Beck (Partner at Beck Reed Riden LLP) . The panelists specialize in trade secret litigation and counseling.

For more information and registration, please click here.

*This program offers 1.50 hours participatory MCLE credit.