Business litigation
Trade Secrets and Non-Compete disputes, for employers and employees
When a departing employee, a restrictive agreement or a confidential customer list becomes a fight, Gegan Law Office in Tampa works with the employer protecting the business and with the employee bound by the paperwork.
Chapter 01
Three agreements, three different kinds of dispute
A non-compete, a confidentiality agreement and a non-solicitation agreement are often signed in the same stack of hiring paperwork, but they do different work. A non-compete limits where a person may go to work next. A confidentiality agreement limits what they may carry with them. A non-solicitation agreement limits whom they may approach, whether that means customers or former coworkers. When a dispute starts, the first job is working out which of the three is really at issue and what the text says.
Gegan Law Office in Tampa reads the agreement itself before anything else, along with the facts around it: who signed, when, what the person did on the job and what they did after leaving. Edmund J. Gegan has been a litigator for his entire career, since 1994, so a dispute gets assessed the way a litigator assesses it from the start. The initial consultation is free. Call (813) 248-8900.
A closed laptop beside a key card on a lanyard and a brass office key, with frosted glass behind
Employers protecting trade secrets, employees bound by agreements
For an employer, the concern is usually concrete: a departing employee who took customer lists, pricing, process knowledge or other information the company works to keep private, or who began approaching the accounts they were hired to serve. Protecting a trade secret means acting before the information spreads, so it helps to arrive with a clear picture of what the company did to keep that information confidential.
For an employee, the problem runs the other way. A person changing jobs may be told by a former employer that an agreement forbids the move, or may be handed one to sign by a new employer. Gegan Law Office works with people on this side as well, helping them understand what they actually agreed to before they decide whether to take the job, resign or push back.
Chapter 03
The Florida Uniform Trade Secret Act and where the case is heard
Florida has its own trade secret statute, the Florida Uniform Trade Secret Act, and claims about misappropriated information in Tampa and across the state often involve it. Whether a piece of information qualifies as a trade secret at all is frequently the first contested question, and the answer depends on the facts: what the information is, who had access to it and what steps were taken to protect it.
These disputes are heard in state or federal court, depending on the claims and the parties. A matter may be resolved by agreement along the way, or it may need a judge. Gegan Law Office will tell you plainly if a quiet settlement makes more sense than a fight, and will fight when a clear win is what you need. Call (813) 248-8900 to talk with Edmund.
Gegan Law — Free initial consultation. Contacting the office does not create an attorney-client relationship. Call (813) 248-8900.