Trade Secrets

Woman in a Laboratory

Trade secrets are an appealing form of intellectual property protection because there are no costs specifically applicable to acquiring this form of protection and such protection can last indefinitely. The most significant drawbacks to utilizing trade secret protection for valuable business information are that it does not protect against reverse engineering and it does not provide for redress where someone else independently develops the same know-how.

For certain types of innovations, trade secrets are definitely a preferable form of intellectual property protection. For example, patents will not be issued for ideas or concepts but rather only for concrete applications of such. Trade secret protection, however, is available for such subject matter if it is maintained as secret and derives independent economic value by virtue of its not being generally known. Further, the bargained-for-exchange in the patent sphere is that, in exchange for the limited-in-time legal monopoly that a patent provides, the inventor must disclose the subject matter of the invention to the public in the patent. Once the patent expires, therefore, the public is free to make and use the invention. Where, for example in the case of a recipe or composition of matter, one’s goal is to not share the “secret sauce” so to speak and to maintain such secrecy as long as possible, trade secret protection is likely the better route.

While, as noted, there are no costs specific to acquiring trade secret protection, there are measures that will need to be taken to ensure that one is meeting the standard for keeping the information sufficiently secret. Non-disclosure and non-dissemination agreements, confidentiality policies, electronic/IT security precautions, and physical security measures may all be critical to ensuring that a trade secret owner has sufficiently maintained the secrecy of the information. As an experienced trade secrets lawyer, Chiacchio IP’s Founder and Owner Ted Chiacchio is well-equipped to help you navigate the terrain of trade secret law and make sure that you are taking the necessary to steps to preserve trade secret protection.

In contrast to other areas of intellectual property law, for trade secrets, the only enforcement mechanism available to a trade secret owner is for misappropriation (i.e., theft) of the trade secrets. This is why it is important, when considering who to retain as your trade secrets lawyer, that you take into account the value of retaining an attorney who is not only experienced with trade secret law, but who also possesses broader litigation experience, as theft of trade secrets is, in some respects, no different than other forms of theft.

Ted has extensive experience litigating trade secret disputes. Ted currently serves as lead trial counsel for a trade secret litigation in U.S. federal district court where he represents the plaintiff trade secret owner. The trade secrets involved relate to computer source code for executing high frequency securities trading strategies valued in the millions of dollars. More generally though, Ted’s 15-plus years of experience litigating intellectual property disputes inures to his clients’ benefit daily. Moreover, Ted’s broader business litigation experience puts him in the unique position of being able to handle, not only the intellectual property aspects of trade secret litigation, but also all related claims and defenses that often arise in such litigation (e.g., claims alleging breach of contract, conversion (i.e., civil theft), fraudulent inducement/concealment, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with prospective business opportunities, etc.).

Client Reviews
★★★★★
When I first started looking for a lawyer in the US, I had no idea what to expect. I represent an international online retailer from China and we were unfamiliar with the US legal system. An urgent legal message from the plaintiff regarding a trademark infringement case started my search for an experienced trademark lawyer. After calling and speaking to a wide variety of costly lawyers and law firms, I realized that Ted was one of the few personable, professional, and intelligent options that I came across during my search. Not only did he show me that he valued my time, but also my opinion and decisions regarding the case. If you are currently looking for an experienced trademark lawyer for your case, I strongly recommend you give Ted or his office a call and see what they can do for you. 老单
★★★★★
Ted is an outstanding Intellectual Property attorney that truly cares about his clients' needs. During one of the most stressful times of my life, Ted gave me the assurance and confidence that everything would be okay. His knowledge and expertise allowed us to find a swift and positive solution to my matter. As a lawyer myself, I can honestly say that Ted is a world-class attorney and I highly recommend him to anyone that has Intellectual Property needs. Blake Hall
★★★★★
I am a financial executive who has worked in the life sciences industry (pharma/biotech/med device) for over 15 years now. I have known Ted for over 20 years, during the course of which he has provided to me patent and other intellectual property-related advice. Ted has an extraordinary depth of patent law knowledge gained from many years of practicing at top tier corporate law firms. I find him to be incredibly thorough, thoughtful, practical and responsive and look forward to continuing to benefit from his capabilities and guidance in the future. Scott Kain
★★★★★
Working with Chiacchio IP was extremely easy and a great experience. Very knowledgeable and was able to help with my trademark matter in a responsive and timely manner. Highly recommend! Andrew Gilman, Owner, Northline Property Group
★★★★★
Theodore Chiacchio offered us exceptional help with our legal situation. He is extremely knowledgeable and responsive. It was apparent from our first conversation that he was right on track and knew exactly what to do to provide us with security and an outcome that was both fair and reasonable. We felt at ease and confident with Theodore. In what was a very difficult and unwanted situation he made much easier. Rebecca Cappelli, Owner, Songbird Studios Inc.