Trade Secrets: Your Most Valuable (and Vulnerable) Asset

Category: Intellectual Property

Your customer lists. Your pricing formulas. Your proprietary processes. These trade secrets may be worth more than your patents—but they are only protected if you protect them. Drawing on real litigation experience, David Maples reveals how companies lose their most valuable secrets and, more importantly, how to keep yours safe in an age of job-hopping employees and corporate espionage.

Key Takeaways

• What qualifies – Understanding what legally constitutes a trade secret (it is more than you think)
• Protection protocols – Technical, physical, and administrative safeguards that courts require
• Employee agreements – NDAs, non-competes, and assignment clauses that actually hold up
• When secrets walk – What to do when an employee leaves for a competitor
• Litigation realities – Case studies from trade secret lawsuits and lessons learned

Who This Talk Is For

Business owners, HR leaders, legal teams, and executives in competitive industries where proprietary knowledge drives success. Essential for technology companies, manufacturing, professional services, and any business with valuable know-how.

Talk Formats Available

• 60-minute keynote
• Half-day workshop with trade secret audit
• CLE-accredited presentation for attorneys