First Ever Federal Trade Secrets Conference Will Heed Call to Action!!

On October 25, 2016, the Obama White House issued a Call to Action (CTA) urging states to enact non-compete reform. The CTA posits that non-compete agreements are overused, and that employers can protect their interests through a “host of other legal frameworks-including trade secrets protections.”

Although one may reasonably infer that a Trump administration is not likely to follow up on Obama’s Call to Action, the truth is that the Obama administration was simply acknowledging out loud a trend that has been accelerating across the country. Non-competes are facing greater scrutiny, and many state legislatures have proposed legislation that would scale back their use and emphasize the importance of protecting trade secrets.

Coincidentally, Congress recently enacted the Defend Trade Secrets Acts (DTSA). If states are going to urge employers to rely more heavily on trade secret protection in lieu of using non-competes, it is imperative that the DTSA gets off on the right foot, particularly if it is to achieve its purpose of creating uniformity in the law.

Therefore, in the nascent stages of the DTSA, we have assembled a nationally prominent team of practitioners, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and state and federal judges to discuss and analyze key aspects of the DTSA and best practices for non-compete and trade secret litigation. This conference is a must for any company needing to protect confidential and trade secret information, and for any attorney who litigates and counsels in this arena.

Don’t miss the opportunity to have your voice heard! As we gather, our goal is to influence the formation of national policy governing trade secret law. At the conclusion of the conference, a collection of our panelists will work to synthesize the discussions and ideas into a comprehensive report to be utilized as a resource for courts interpreting and applying the DTSA. In the years to come, we will continue with our educational and policymaking objectives.

Join us for this exciting new conference! 

When and Where? February 24, 2017 at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business. More details are available on the conference website.

What will be covered? Topics include:

• Nuts and Bolts of the DTSA
• Tips From the FBI presented by Special Agent Gloria Harbold concerning how to identify and protect your trade secrets
• Utilizing the DTSA for Uniformity – obtaining uniform protection of trade secrets for companies with a multistate presence
• The Interplay of Trade Secret and Non-Compete Law
• A view from the Bench from Federal Judges Christine Arguello and Nina Wang, as well as State Court Judge Bruce Jones
• In-house Panelists from Abbott Labs, Garmin International and TeleTech

CLE Credit Available -- Up to 7 hours of CLE Credit, including one hour of Ethics. 

Register here or download the conference brochure. Questions may be directed to the Program Chair, Michael Greco of Fisher Phillips – mgreco@fisherphillips.com or 303-218-3655.