Russell Beck and Hannah Joseph in the Boston Bar Journal on Protecting Trade Secrets

Russell Beck and Hannah Joseph’s article about strategies to protect trade secrets while office employees are largely working from home was recently published by the Boston Bar Journal.

Their article, titled “Protecting Trade Secrets During (and After) a Global Pandemic: Practical Tips for Employers” provides practical steps for employers to ensure the protection of their trade secrets and other legitimate business interests.

According to the article, COVID’s disruption to the workplace “created a precarious environment for trade secrets, as well as customer relationships and other legitimate business interests. Employees working from home have more opportunity to convert company information and customers, and some, particularly those facing involuntary unemployment, may feel driven to do so.”

Russell and Hannah further explain that, “Whether during or after the pandemic, it is vital for companies to have strong measures in place for protecting their trade secrets and other legitimate business interests, rather than to solely rely on after-the-fact litigation.”

In the article, Russell and Hannah outline specific steps that companies should take now to protect their trade secrets:

• Know your trade secrets
• Firm up policies and procedures
• Educate your employees
• Monitor your workforce

The Boston Bar Journal is a peer-reviewed, online publication of the Boston Bar Association. It presents timely information, analysis, and opinions to more than 10,000 lawyers in nearly every practice area. The Boston Bar Journal is governed by a volunteer Board of Editors dedicated to publishing outstanding articles that reflect their authors’ independent thought.

For up-to-the-minute analysis of legal issues concerning noncompete agreements in Massachusetts and across the United States, read Russell Beck’s blog, Fair Competition Law.