Protecting Trade Secrets in M&A

Trade secrets and confidential information are a cornerstone to most successful intellectual property strategies.  Trade secrets provide important competitive advantages that augment the profitability and value of a business.  The importance and value of trade secrets have been recently confirmed by substantial damage awards, broad enforcement and the introduction of specific legislative protection in the United States.

In the M&A context, particularly during the negotiation and due diligence phases of an M&A transaction, the disclosure of trade secrets and confidential information can expose the disclosing party to various risks. As such, taking measures to protect confidential information must be a priority.