Trade Secrets

State v. Federal Trade Secret Laws (Virginia Trade Secret Act, Uniform Trade Secret Act and Defend Trade Secret Act)

State v. Federal Trade Secret Laws (Virginia Trade Secret Act, Uniform Trade Secret Act and Defend Trade Secret Act) 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

For years I have advised Virginia employees to calm down when it comes down to Trade Secret issues. Well, I hope I haven’t been that passive aggressive in my advice. My intent has always been to provide employees with a simplified understanding of what their legal rights and obligations are regarding…

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What Amazon employees and print journalists have in common – egregious non-compete agreements – Business Litigation Podcast

What Amazon employees and print journalists have in common – egregious non-compete agreements – Business Litigation Podcast 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

https://frithlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/geek-wire-podcast.wmaGood morning from Virginia – where non-competes flourish to the detriment to employees, competition and capitalism. (Fun statement to type, one I believe but is rather controversial). If you would like to spend a few minutes hearing my comments on non-competes in Virginia, and the likelihood of change soon – enjoy…

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Even smart people are dumb – #noncompetes #jobsecurity Google v. Uber

Even smart people are dumb – #noncompetes #jobsecurity Google v. Uber 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Forgive me, I use hashtags ironically. And this morning, after having read yet another article  about the ongoing trade secret litigation between Google and Uber, respectively. This is not a surprising scenario, but as alleged we have the following players:Company 1 (Google) has long term employee (we will call him Bozo) who helps…

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I have nothing against your spouse / mother / brother – but I don’t recommend they join our call

I have nothing against your spouse / mother / brother – but I don’t recommend they join our call 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

I have the pleasure of representing Virginians from all over the Commonwealth. And recently I have seen the following trend:1. Spouse 1 – works full time, doesn’t have time to hire attorney to review contract. 2. Spouse 2 – concerned and loving, takes the time to find a lawyer, get a…

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Virginia is good for business (*which means bad for employees!)

Virginia is good for business (*which means bad for employees!) 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

This month I read a summary of accolades for my home – the Commonwealth of Virginia. Best State for Business (6/50) – Forbes MagazineTop State Business Climate (6/50)Top State for Business (13/50) – CNBCWhat does all this mean? Well practically speaking, what is a good business climate is – cheap workers,…

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Hair Club for Men – in the news again!

Hair Club for Men – in the news again! 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

If you were an adolescent in the 1990s, there is no doubt you remember some of the classic Hair Club for Men commercials where men would smile while woman rubbed their hands across thick luscious clumps of natural looking hair on a man standing nearby. I recall friends reenacting the…

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The feds chime in on non-competes – part II – White House Report Podcast

The feds chime in on non-competes – part II – White House Report Podcast 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Just a few days ago my partner Dan and I were discussing the Dept. of Treasury luke warm report on non-compete agreements.. and Dan asked, why are they doing this? It was a fair question. Why is Treasury spending time and money looking into the economic impact of restrictive covenants,…

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Trade Secrets and Inevitable Disclosure: A Disturbing Trend

Trade Secrets and Inevitable Disclosure: A Disturbing Trend 150 150 Dan Frith

I am seeing a disturbing trend where an ex-employee, who never signed a non-compete agreement with his/her ex-employer, is faced with an attempt by the ex-employer to prevent the ex-employee from competing in the business world.  How?  By claiming the ex-employee is using “trade secrets” from the previous job to…

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Emails: You might as well hand your ex-employer a gun!

Emails: You might as well hand your ex-employer a gun! 150 150 Dan Frith

We represent employees is disputes against employers.  The cases may involve alleged violations of non-compete contracts, breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of trade secrets, etc.  One of the first things we tell new clients is not to destroy or delete existing emails (whether on the employer’s server or the employee’s…

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Non-Compete Agreements, and the other team’s playbook

Non-Compete Agreements, and the other team’s playbook 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Our office typically represents employees in business litigation disputes. Yes, we occasionally represent a company but more often than not, we are fighting for an employee who wants to continue work in his or her chosen profession. We do this by evaluating their contracts, the situation and facts, and  arguing…

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