Category Archives: Confidential Information

Trump-Daniels Affair Exposes Inherent Legal Challenges with Hush Agreements

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Joe Ahmad

There are plenty of clues that the so-called “hush agreement” between Donald Trump and porn actress Stormy Daniels (née Stephanie Clifford) was hastily crafted and poorly thought out. Executed just days before the 2016, the non-disparagement agreement has a wealth … Continue reading →

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As Date Nears for Google v. Uber Trade Secret Trial, Uber Insiders Describe Culture of Espionage and Secrecy

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Joe Ahmad

In the year since Google’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary Waymo first leveled allegations that Uber had poached star engineer Anthony Levandowski knowing that he was bringing a raft of stolen trade secrets with him, the contentious litigation has consistently revealed new … Continue reading →

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Errant Email Steers Uber into Trade Secret Trouble

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

It’s too early to know the degree of vetting that occurred before Uber handed Anthony Levandowski nearly $700 million for his fledgling autonomous truck company named Otto and brought him aboard to lead Uber’s self-driving vehicle division. A high-profile trade … Continue reading →

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President Not Alone in Cavalier Approach to Protecting the Digital Crown Jewels

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

President Not Alone in Cavalier Approach to Protecting the Digital Crown Jewels Continue reading →

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Game industry executive’s job-hopping mistake leads to `Game Over’ jury verdict for Facebook/Oculus

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

Hours after a Dallas jury returned its $500 million verdict for ZeniMax over claims that Facebook and Oculus unfairly used its virtual reality coding, the creator of that code, John Carmack, took to social media to continue his defense. Carmack, … Continue reading →

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Picture that text you just wrote on the screen in a courtroom

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Executives know better than to put questionable statements in email, right? Well, it is past time to realize the same goes for texts. Just like a Miranda warning: Anything you text can and will be used against you in a court of law. Continue reading →

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Your Employment Agreement is Nothing Like a Mortgage Document

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Another report on employment contracts is discouraging but not surprising. A survey of 1,000 people in the U.K. showed that more than 90 percent didn’t read their employment contracts – despite the fact that the terms can haunt them for … Continue reading →

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Dialer Beware: Trump Volunteers Must Sign Onerous Agreement to Work Online Phone Bank

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Where do I begin? There are so many troubling aspects to the lengthy nondisclosure agreement that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is requiring online campaign volunteers to sign that I just had to speak up. The contents of this 2,271-world … Continue reading →

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Noteworthy Outcome in Early Test of Federal Trade Secrets Act

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

There’s a bigger story behind a Florida judge’s recent ruling in one of the first lawsuits brought under the new Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA). U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga dismissed, at least temporarily, a lawsuit filed by an … Continue reading →

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Massage Envy No More

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Houston Chronicle business columnist Chris Tomlinson recently interviewed me about how a woman’s search for a better job landed her in serious legal trouble. The unfortunate story involves Maxie Foster, who worked for years as a receptionist to pay her … Continue reading →

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