Jane Schlicht Discusses the Significance of One of the First Dismissals of a Defend Trade Secrets Act Lawsuit

August 10, 2016

Jane C. Schlicht, a Milwaukee-based Intellectual Property Practice partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, provided comments included in a Thomson Reuters News story on the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Florida's decision in M.C. Dean V. City of Miami Beach, No. 16-21731. In that case, the court dismissed one of the first lawsuits brought under the Defend Trade Secrets Act, a federal law designed to protect trade secrets. 　

As noted in the article, titled "Trade Secrets Lawsuit Against Miami Beach and Union Dismissed," which was published on August 10, 2016, the court determined that plaintiff "did not show that it took reasonable steps to protect confidential employee information at issue in the suit or that the information was misappropriated." Ms. Schlicht explained that "[t]he ruling highlights the importance of companies putting protections in place to guard information they believe is a trade secret, [i]f companies cannot show they took reasonable precautions to protect their information, then it can be disclosed and they can never get it back."　

To read the full article, "Trade Secrets Lawsuit Against Miami Beach and Union Dismissed," visit the Thomson Reuters website. Please note a subscription is required.

Ms. Schlicht focuses her practice in complex business and intellectual property litigation and contracts that are related to these areas. She has substantial experience in the litigation of disputes at both the state and federal levels throughout the country. Ms. Schlicht counsels and advises her clients on matters involving patents, trademarks and copyright infringement, as well as disputes involving restrictive covenants and trade secrets. She also handles trademark and copyright registrations and Trademark Trial & Appeal Board (TTAB) proceedings, and counsels her clients in business contracts and transactions.

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a U.S.-based law firm with offices nationwide. The firm's national reputation spans the insurance industry, the financial services sector, professional services, and other highly regulated industries. Hinshaw provides holistic legal solutions—from litigation and dispute resolution, and business advisory and transactional services, to regulatory compliance—for clients of all sizes. Visit www.hinshawlaw.com for more information and follow @Hinshaw on LinkedIn and X.