Category Archives: Corporate culture

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

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

Posted in CEOs, Confidential Information, Corporate culture, Defend Trade Secrets Act, Trade Secrets | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on President Not Alone in Cavalier Approach to Protecting the Digital Crown Jewels

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

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

Posted in CEOs, Complaints Against Executives, Confidential Information, Corporate culture, Depositions, Executive Management Style, Fiduciary Duty, Legal, Litigation, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Picture that text you just wrote on the screen in a courtroom

Your Employment Agreement is Nothing Like a Mortgage Document

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

Posted in CEOs, Confidential Information, Corporate culture, Covenants Not to Compete, Executive Compensation, Executive contracts, Non-Competes | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Your Employment Agreement is Nothing Like a Mortgage Document

Massage Envy No More

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

Posted in Confidential Information, Corporate culture, Covenants Not to Compete, Executive Compensation, Executive contracts, Litigation, Non-Competes, Trade Secrets | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Massage Envy No More

Who Says There’s No Crying in Baseball?

To those who shrug off cybertheft as a victimless crime that shouldn’t involve any real punishment, there’s a federal judge in Houston who just officially delivered a very different message on the subject. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes sentenced former … Continue reading

Posted in Confidential Information, Corporate culture, Criminal Prosecutions, Defend Trade Secrets Act, Trade Secrets | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Considering a New Job? Please Talk to Your Lawyer

Zillow recently reached a whopping $130 million settlement with Realtor.com operator Move Inc. shortly before the two online real estate giants went to trial over alleged misappropriation of trade secrets. While the settlement amount is a far cry from the … Continue reading

Posted in Business Continuity, CEOs, Complaints Against Executives, Confidential Information, Corporate culture, Covenants Not to Compete, Executive Compensation, Executive contracts, Executive Management Style, Fiduciary Duty, Legal, Litigation, Non-Competes, Trade Secrets, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Considering a New Job? Please Talk to Your Lawyer

Crass Executive Spending Puts Leading Veterans Charity under a Cloud

As obvious as it seems, abusing an expense account with lavish personal spending is one of the most common ways a CEO can get into trouble. Being an executive comes with reasonable perks that are necessary and helpful to doing the job. But some people get carried away and forget that these funds are not for their personal use and enjoyment. Continue reading

Posted in CEOs, Complaints Against Executives, Corporate culture, Executive Compensation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Crass Executive Spending Puts Leading Veterans Charity under a Cloud

What Execs Can Learn from the Clinton Email Scandal

It’s always a good time to learn from the misfortunes/bad judgment of others, and the Hillary Clinton email controversy seems as good an opportunity to do that as any.
Continue reading

Posted in CEOs, Complaints Against Executives, Confidential Information, Corporate culture, Trade Secrets | Tagged , , | Comments Off on What Execs Can Learn from the Clinton Email Scandal

Preventing Trade Secret Theft (in 20 Years)

Trade secret theft becomes a bigger concern for major companies with every passing day. Particularly when companies are doing business overseas—where intellectual property protections may not be as well-enforced—keeping trade secrets secret has become, to put it lightly, a challenge.

Continue reading

Posted in Corporate culture, Fiduciary Duty, Legal, Litigation, Trade Secrets | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Preventing Trade Secret Theft (in 20 Years)

Apple a Succession Planning, Corporate Culture Success Story

So the new iPad has come out, sending technophiles (which seems to be everybody these days) to the moon with glee. Combined with the recent news that Apple’s market capitalization recently broke the $500 billion mark, only the sixth company … Continue reading

Posted in Business Continuity, CEOs, Corporate culture, Corporate successsion, Sports contracts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Apple a Succession Planning, Corporate Culture Success Story