Trade Secret Litigation

BerlikLaw is a trade secret law firm headquartered in Reston, Virginia. Our lawyers work closely with the firm's clients to help them obtain and secure the full protection of the intellectual property laws, including the law governing misappropriation of trade secrets. We focus on creating comprehensive trade-secret litigation strategies designed to maximize our clients' revenue. With offices in Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Alexandria, the firm has a strong presence throughout Northern Virginia and our lawyers are very familiar with the area's state and federal courts, appearing in both venues regularly.

What is a trade secret? In Virginia, trade secrets generally consist of commercial information that (1) derives independent economic value from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other businesses which would benefit from its disclosure; and (2) is the subject of reasonable efforts by the business to be kept secret. (The full definition is provided in the Virginia Uniform Trade Secrets Act itself, found at Va. Code § 59.1-336). Trade secret law generally protects secret methods, formulas, and/or devices that give a business a competitive advantage over its competitors. Trade secrets often include confidential information such as manufacturing processes, secret recipes, customer lists, and marketing plans. Of course, if the information is made available to the general public, it ceases to become a trade secret and loses the protection it might otherwise be entitled to.

Even in the absence of pending litigation, we work with our clients to help protect their trade secrets. After identifying the critical business information, we work towards devising a comprehensive strategy to keep that information out of the hands of your competitors. Once you share with us your business goals and values, we use that information to develop a trade-secret protection plan customized to suit the needs of your business.

Misappropriation of trade secrets is a serious matter. If your business has been affected, or if another business has initiated litigation wrongfully accusing you of stealing their trade secrets, give us a call for representation in any Virginia court. We will do everything in our power to help you achieve a positive outcome and you can be confident in our abilities. Our clients are the center of everything we do.