Ward and Smith attorneys Gavin Parsons, Mayukh Sircar, CIPP/US, and Devon Williams are featured in the June 2025 issue of The Licensing Journal for their article, "Preventing Trade Secret Theft: Proactive Strategies for In-House Counsel."
The piece offers practical guidance for employers and legal departments on minimizing trade secret risks in an era of remote work, mobile employees, and expanding digital footprints. From the article.
Effective trade secret protection begins with the company recognizing that its secret information is valuable and establishing and promoting a corporate culture that acknowledges this resource and protects it.
Companies should recognize and understand that they have trade secrets, and then communicate the existence and significance to their employees. Sometimes companies do not recognize that their confidential information is a legally-protectable trade secret. If they don't identify it themselves, it increases the chance that their employees will be unaware of the need for handling this information with care and discretion.
Employees must understand not only what information requires protection but why that protection matters to the company's success. This starts when an employee is onboarded and should extend throughout the employment relationship through regular training and communication.
The article marks the final installment in a five-part series on trade secret protection and enforcement, drawn from Gavin Parsons’ CLE presentation for the North Carolina Bar Association’s Antitrust and Complex Business Disputes program.
The Licensing Journal is a premier publication offering in-depth, practical guidance from leading attorneys in intellectual property, technology, and entertainment law. Published ten times a year, it provides readers with proven strategies, cautionary insights, and innovative approaches for crafting profitable and secure licensing agreements.
