Trade Secrets

Trade secret protection can serve as a valuable way to protect certain intellectual property rights. Trade secret protection can last indefinitely, and thus, trade secrets can offer an advantage over patent protection, which only lasts for a specifically limited period of time. However, through methods such as reverse engineering, trade secrets can also be lost. Our attorneys understand these complexities and rely on their experience and skill to tailor legal strategies that will afford the best possible intellectual property protection for each client.

In an increasingly competitive and global marketplace, the need for owners to keep their special knowledge out of the hands of competitors has never been greater. Our attorneys possess the technical expertise and legal acumen necessary to assist owners in accomplishing this goal. Through a variety of civil and commercial means, such as the employment of non-disclosure agreements and non-compete clauses, our attorneys creatively and adeptly craft successful strategies to ensure that special knowledge is fully protected.

  • Trade Secrets Litigation
  • Trade Secrets Protection
Media Center

Chambers USA Ranks Panitch Schwarze Among Top IP Attorneys for 2017 // May 26, 2017
Philadelphia and Wilmington IP lawyers ranked among top intellectual property practitioners in U.S. Read more

John D. Simmons to Lead Philadelphia IP Law Association // May 18, 2017
Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel is proud to announce that partner John D. Simmons has been elected to serve as president of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association (PIPLA). Read more

Panitch Schwarze Attorneys Recognized as 'Leaders in their Field' in Chambers USA 2015 // June 16, 2015
Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP is pleased to announce that Ronald L. Panitch, William W. Schwarze, Martin G. Belisario, Alan S. Nadel, and Clark A. Jablon have been ranked as “Leaders in their Field” in the 2015 Chambers & Partners USA Directory in the field of Intellectual Property law. Read more

9 Panitch Schwarze Attorneys Named Pennsylvania 'Super Lawyers' and 'Rising Stars' for 2015 // May 15, 2015
Panitch Schwarze Belisario and Nadel LLP is pleased to announce that Ronald L. Panitch, William W. Schwarze, Martin G. Belisario, and Alan S. Nadel have been named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list as five of the top attorneys in Pennsylvania for 2015. Read more

Panitch Schwarze Named a Top IP Law Firm by Forbes // May 4, 2015
Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP, an intellectual property law firm, is pleased and honored to announce that Forbes magazine has recognized it as a top IP law firm in the Forbes Legal Black Book created by Forbes Business Division. Read more

Panitch Schwarze Attorneys Named 2015 'IP Stars' // April 15, 2015
Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP, an intellectual property law firm, is pleased to announce that attorneys Ronald L. Panitch, William W. Schwarze, and Alan S. Nadel have been named 2015 IP Stars by Managing Intellectual Property, a leading source of news and analysis on intellectual property issues worldwide.  Read more

PTAB Rules in favor of BBiTV against Hawaiian Telcom // April 1, 2015
Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP is pleased to announce that today the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) ruled in favor of its client Broadband iTV, Inc. (“BBiTV”).  Read more

Subject Matter Conflicts in IP // October 2, 2014
John Steele, Esq., will give a presentation on Subject Matter Conflicts in IP. CLE will be applied for but is not guaranteed Read more

Panitch Schwarze Opens New Location in Delaware // September 10, 2014
Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP is pleased to announce its expansion of its Intellectual Property practice with the opening of a new Wilmington, Delaware office. Read more

Panitch Schwarze Announces New Location in Delaware // August 25, 2014
Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP is pleased to announce its expansion of its Intellectual Property practice with the opening of a new Wilmington office at the Wells Fargo Tower, 2200 Concord Pike, Suite 201, Wilmington, DE 19803.  Read more

5 Panitch Schwarze Intellectual Property Attorneys Named in 'Best Lawyers in America' 2015 // August 19, 2014
Intellectual Property attorneys from Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP were included in the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Best Lawyers recognized each of these attorneys for their Intellectual Property practice. Read more

Panitch Schwarze Intellectual Property Attorneys Recognized as 'Leaders in their Field' in Chambers USA 2014 // July 10, 2014
Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP is pleased to announce that Ronald L. Panitch, William W. Schwarze, Martin G. Belisario, Alan S. Nadel, and Clark A. Jablon have been ranked as “Leaders in their Field” in the 2014 Chambers & Partners USA Directory for the field of Intellectual Property. Read more

Inequitable Conduct: A Recap of Therasense and Subsequent CAFC Decisions // June 26, 2014
Summer Associate William Kaufmann will give a presentation on Inequitable Conduct. Lunch will be provided. CLE is being applied for but is not guaranteed. Read more

8 Panitch Schwarze Intellectual Property Attorneys Named Pennsylvania 'Super Lawyers' and 'Rising Stars' for 2014 // May 23, 2014
Panitch Schwarze Belisario and Nadel LLP is pleased to announce that Ronald L. Panitch, William W. Schwarze, Martin G. Belisario, and Alan S. Nadel have been selected to the Pennsylvania "Super Lawyers" list as four of the top attorneys in Pennsylvania for 2013. Read more

Australian and New Zealand Patent Law // May 14, 2014
Matt Adams, Partner with AJ Park in New Zealand, will hold a presentation on various updates in New Zealand and Australian patent law. Lunch will be served. CLE will be applied for but is not guaranteed Read more

Regulatory and Legal Hot Topics: How to Avoid Trade Secret Problems When you Change Jobs or When you Hire a New Employee // February 27, 2014
Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel, LLP will discuss avoiding trade secret problems when changing jobs or hiring a new employee. Read more

5 Panitch Schwarze Intellectual Property Attorneys Named Among 'Best Lawyers in America' for 2014 // August 15, 2013
Intellectual Property attorneys from Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP were included in the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Best Lawyers recognized each of these attorneys for their Intellectual Property practice. In addition, Ronald L. Panitch was named the 'Best Lawyers' 2014 Philadelphia Litigation - Patent "Lawyer of the Year." Read more

From The Blog

July 7, 2016
What Does the Brexit Vote Mean for IP Protection?
By Martin G. Belisario and Bridget H. Labutta As is well known by now, the citizens of Great Britain have chosen to leave the European Union (EU), a move popularly dubbed the “Brexit.” Despite the economic upheaval and media firestorm surrounding the vote, the realm of intellectual property law is unlikely to see any immediate... Read more

May 19, 2016
Charged with an IP Crime? Your Lawyer Better Know Science as Well as Criminal Law
When federal agents swarmed the home of Temple University physics professor Xiaoxing Xi and charged him with spying for China, scientists across the country better have taken note. This was an egregious case of an alleged IP crime which turned out to be nothing at all. Unfortunately, it is likely to happen again. Scientists and... Read more

May 3, 2016
The Defend Trade Secrets Act: What IP-Driven Companies Need to Know
By Alan S. Nadel, Esq. When we wrote recently about trade secrets, we noted that enforcement in the United States fell largely to state laws modeled on the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA), first drafted in 1979. With its signing in February 2016 of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, though, the United States obliged itself to enact... Read more

April 26, 2016
Honoring Great American Inventor Lonnie G. Johnson
By Ronald L. Panitch, Esq. From the trademark protecting “Star Wars” merchandise to the patent protecting the repositionable adhesive on the Post-It® note, the legal protection of intellectual property drives innovation and fuels our economy. Today, as we pause to mark World Intellectual Property Day, one man stands as a living example of the creativity... Read more

November 5, 2015
When Can Customer Information be Considered a Trade Secret?
By John Simmons, Esq. We’ve recently discussed trade secrets, any information known to you but not to others that gives you a business advantage. While examples such as product designs and secret recipes are good examples of intellectual property that can be treated as trade secrets, we frequently are asked about one business advantage that... Read more

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