On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, at 1 p.m. Eastern, Houston partner Jesse Coleman and Boston partner Erik Weibust are presenting a webinar entitled “Available Remedies for Trade Secret and Restrictive Covenant Cases” for the Federal Bar Association and myLawCLE. Register for the webinar at the myLawCLE website. CLE credits are available, and an on-demand version of the webinar will be available following the live webinar. Below is a description of the program and an outline of the topics covered.
Description
When a current or former employee or business partner misappropriates trade secrets or breaches a restrictive covenant agreement, such as a noncompetition, non-solicitation, or nondisclosure agreement, the aggrieved party may often, depending on the jurisdiction, pursue injunctive relief and damages against the employee or business partner. Quantifying the damages to the business resulting from the breach of covenant can be challenging. The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 provides additional avenues for seeking injunctive relief and damages for trade secret theft, as do individual state laws. Courts may double damages and award attorneys’ fees in the event of willful and malicious appropriation of trade secrets. Employers can also sometimes pursue damages from a former employee’s new employer for interference with the departing employee’s restrictive covenants. Companies face additional challenges when attempting to enforce restrictive covenants when some or all of the actionable conduct takes place outside the US Listen as our authoritative panel discusses strategies and best practices for employers to pursue injunctive relief and damages against a current or former employee and/or his new employer following a trade-secret misappropriation, or a breach of a covenant not to compete, solicit, or disclose confidential information. Our panel will offer drafting strategies to give companies the most robust platform for enforcing their contractual and fiduciary rights.
Key Topics
- What types of relief may companies pursue when a current or former employee or business partner breaches a restrictive covenant?
- How does state law and the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 address damages and injunctive relief for trade secret misappropriation?
- What are the methodologies to establish damages?
- When can and should an employer go after a former employee’s new employer for damages for breach of a restrictive covenant?
- How can companies draft enforceable covenants to maximize potential damages and equitable remedies?