The Tension Between Migrating Employees and Protecting Your Trade Secrets

When an employee leaves to join or start a competing business, the company's interest in protecting the competitive edge it derives from its trade secrets sometimes clashes with California's strong policy favoring employee mobility. As courts struggle to reconcile these warring interests, how can the owner of the trade secret, the new employer, and the migrating employee all walk the line to avoid costly disputes without sacrificing their vital interests? Veterans of all sides of these disputes provide practical suggestions for steering clear of these often contentious disputes.