Trade Secret Counsel

Your Most Valuable Secret Deserves More Than a Handshake.

We build the NDAs, internal policies, and enforcement strategy that keep proprietary information safe, and that strengthen your case if it is ever breached.

Protected by Design

A Secret Is Only Protected If You Take Steps to Protect It

Reasonable Steps
The law protects secrets you actively guard
No Expiration
Trade secrets can last as long as they stay secret
NDAs & Policies
The backbone of trade secret protection

Sources: Defend Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1836; Virginia Uniform Trade Secrets Act, § 59.1-336.

A trade secret is protected only if you take reasonable steps to keep it secret. NDAs, access controls, and internal policies are not just precautions, they are what makes the information legally a trade secret. Build them well, and you both protect the secret and strengthen any future case if it is stolen.

The Information You Cannot Afford to Lose.

Some of a company’s most valuable assets are never registered anywhere: formulas, processes, customer lists, pricing models, source code, methods. These trade secrets can be protected indefinitely, but only for as long as they actually stay secret and you take reasonable steps to guard them.

That last part is the catch. The law protects trade secrets only if the owner takes reasonable measures to keep them confidential. Without NDAs, access controls, and clear internal policies, information you consider secret may not qualify for protection at all.

We build the framework that protects proprietary information, NDAs, confidentiality and onboarding policies, and access controls, and we pursue enforcement when a secret is misappropriated, with the documentation that makes your case stronger.

Schedule a Consultation

Where We Come In

  • You have formulas, processes, or data worth protecting
  • You share sensitive information with staff or partners
  • You want enforceable NDAs and confidentiality terms
  • An employee or partner may have taken a secret
  • You want policies that actually protect your information
  • You need to strengthen your position before a breach
What We Handle

Trade Secret Matters We Handle

The framework that protects secrets, and the enforcement when they are taken.

NDAs & Confidentiality

Enforceable agreements that protect your information.

Internal Policies

Onboarding, access, and handling rules that hold up.

Access Controls

Limit who can reach the most sensitive material.

Misappropriation Claims

Act when a secret is taken or misused.

Departing Employees

Protect secrets when people leave.

Enforcement Strategy

A plan that strengthens your case if breached.

Why Companies Choose Us

We Make It Qualify

Reasonable steps are what turn information into a protected secret.

We Draft Strong NDAs

Confidentiality terms built to be enforceable.

We Build the Record

Good policies strengthen any future misappropriation case.

We Enforce Breaches

We pursue those who take what is yours.

What to Expect

How Working With Us Begins

1

Consultation

Tell us about your brand, your goals, and your risks. We assess your assets and where you are exposed.

2

Map the Strategy

We build a tailored protection and monetization plan, your roadmap for making IP work for the business.

3

File & Fortify

We register, draft, and put the protections in place, building a portfolio that holds up and stays useful.

4

Defend & Grow

We monitor, enforce, and license, turning protected IP into a durable, revenue-producing asset.

Anthony I. Shin, Esq., founder of Shin Law Office
Attorney Insight

“Trade secrets are unique in IP because protection is entirely in your hands, and entirely conditional. Unlike a patent or registration, there is nothing to file. The law protects your secret only if you took reasonable steps to keep it secret, which means NDAs, access limits, and real internal policies. I have seen companies lose protection for genuinely valuable information simply because they treated it casually and could not show they had guarded it. The same documentation that protects the secret day to day is exactly what wins the case if someone walks off with it. Build it before you need it.”

Anthony I. Shin, Esq.
Founder, Shin Law Office
Common Questions

Answers Before You Call

What qualifies as a trade secret?
Valuable information that is not generally known and that you take reasonable steps to keep secret, such as formulas, processes, customer lists, pricing, or source code. The protection lasts as long as it stays secret.
How do I protect a trade secret?
By taking reasonable measures to keep it confidential: NDAs, access controls, and internal policies. These steps are what make the information legally protectable, and we build them for you.
Do trade secrets expire?
No, not on their own. A trade secret can be protected indefinitely as long as it remains secret and you keep guarding it. Once it becomes public, protection is lost.
What if an employee takes a secret?
We pursue misappropriation claims under state and federal trade secret law and act to limit the harm. Good NDAs and policies make these cases much stronger.
Are NDAs really necessary?
Yes. NDAs are a core part of showing you took reasonable steps to protect your information, and they give you a clear contractual claim if confidentiality is broken.
How do I protect secrets when employees leave?
Through well-drafted confidentiality and related agreements, exit procedures, and prompt action if you suspect a secret left with them. We help you put these protections in place.

Protect What Makes Your Business Different

A trade secret is only protected if you guard it. We build the NDAs and policies that keep it safe and your case strong. Schedule a consultation.

Prefer to talk now? Reach Anthony I. Shin, Esq. at 571-445-6565.

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Copyright © 2025 Shin Law Office, PLC. All rights reserved.

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Copyright © 2025 Shin Law Office, PLC. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any content on this site is prohibited except for individual, non-commercial, informational use. This limited permission does not allow modification, distribution, or incorporation of any content into other works or publications in any medium. You may not reproduce or distribute content from this site to any third party.