Trade Secrets Breach: What Legal Steps Can We Take Against an Employee?

Dear Legal Advisors,

We are a manufacturing company, and one of our employees has revealed our company's trade secrets to a competitor. Please advise us on what legal actions we can take. Additionally, what punishment can be expected for such actions as per the law?

Thank you.

First thing is to tighten your security and access to knowledge as relevant to the job being done. Secondly, your appointment letter should include a non-disclosure agreement. Proving disclosure of company secrets to outsiders is not easy.

You need to speak to a lawyer who specializes in this field.

The legal action you can take depends on a number of factors, including the actual act by your employee, whether there were non-disclosure clauses (not necessary, but helps), and whether there is a criminal breach of trust.

Members on this forum will not be able to help you without full information and understanding of all circumstances.

Agreement terms on appointment are sacrosanct, not anything beyond that, if you have not included the clause of non-disclosure on the parts of employees. If you forgot that, better amend the terms of appointment now for future employments.