Document exactly what конфиденциальный information or trade secrets the former работник or подрядчик accessed, copied, or used:

To qualify as a "trade secret," you must show you took reasonable steps to maintain secrecy:

• NDAs: Did the работник/подрядчик sign a конфиденциальныйity or non-disclosure agreement?
• Access controls: Password protection, role-based permissions, VPN requirements, two-factor authentication
• Конфиденциальныйity markings: Documents labeled "Конфиденциальный," "Proprietary," or "Trade Secret"
• Need-to-know policies: Restricted access to sensitive data on a business-need basis
• Exit procedures: Return-of-property checklists, exit interviews, certification of data deletion
• Работник handbook/policies: Written policies prohibiting unauthorized copying or disclosure

If you had no protective measures, courts may find the information wasn't a protectable trade secret. Однако, even minimal measures (NDAs + password protection) can suffice if the information derives real value from secrecy.

Gather forensic доказательства showing the former работник/подрядчик took or used your trade secrets:

Calculate your actual losses and unjust enrichment to determine the stakes:

• Lost revenue: Clients who defected to the former работник's new venture, using your конфиденциальный information
• Unjust enrichment: Value the former работник gained by using your trade secrets (e.g., faster time-to-market, lower customer acquisition costs)
• Development costs avoided: What it would have cost them to develop the information independently (e.g., years of R&D, customer relationship building)
• Competitive advantage lost: Diminished market position, eroded pricing power, loss of first-mover advantage

Leverage factors:

• Strength of forensic доказательства (smoking-gun emails, clear download logs)
• Egregious conduct (mass data theft, coordinated team departure, lying during exit interview)
• Availability of injunctive relief (can you stop ongoing use and prevent further damage?)
• Former работник's financial resources and reputational sensitivity

Your cease-and-desist letter should accomplish multiple goals simultaneously:

1. Immediate cessation: Stop all use and disclosure of specific categories of конфиденциальный information
2. Return and destruction: Require return of all misappropriated materials and certification of deletion from all devices
3. Disclosure of recipients: Identify everyone to whom the information was disclosed (new работодатель, clients, partners)
4. Preservation of доказательства: Prohibit deletion of emails, wiping devices, or altering cloud data
5. Customer de-solicitation: Demand they cease contact with specific clients (when supported by trade secret theory, not just noncompete)
6. Create мировое соглашение leverage: Signal serious intent and exposure to injunctive relief and убытки

Choose your tone strategically based on the relationship and desired outcome:

1. Identification of trade secrets: Be specific—"client contact information, pricing data, and proposal templates," not just "конфиденциальный information"
2. Доказательства of misappropriation: Reference specific acts (e.g., "On [date], you downloaded 15,000 customer records to a USB drive")
3. Contractual and statutory нарушениеs: Cite the NDA, employment agreement, and CUTSA/DTSA
4. Immediate demands:
   • Cease all use and disclosure
   • Return all materials (physical and electronic)
   • Certify deletion from personal devices and cloud storage
   • Identify all recipients of the information
   • Preserve all доказательства (no deletion or destruction)
5. Deadline: Typically 48 hours to 7 days depending on urgency
6. Consequences of non-соблюдение: TRO/preliminary injunction, убытки, exemplary убытки (2× actual), адвокатs' fees
7. Мировое Соглашение opening (optional): "We are willing to discuss a resolution that avoids судебный процесс if you take immediate corrective action."

Dear [Former Работник/Подрядчик]:

I represent [Company Name] in connection with your misappropriation of trade secrets and конфиденциальный business information in нарушение of your Конфиденциальныйity Agreement dated [date], the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act (гражданский кодекс § 3426 et seq.), and the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. § 1836 et seq.).

Our investigation has revealed that, до your resignation on [date], you engaged in a systematic effort to misappropriate [Company]'s proprietary information, including:

• Customer contact information, purchasing history, and account details for over [X] clients;
• Конфиденциальный pricing structures, margin data, and discount schedules;
• Proprietary proposal templates, marketing materials, and business development strategies; and
• [Other specific trade secrets].

В частности, our IT audit logs show that on [dates], you:

• Скачатьed [X] files containing customer data to a USB drive;
• Forwarded [Y] emails containing конфиденциальный pricing information to your personal email account ([email]);
• Copied [Z] proprietary documents to your personal Dropbox account; and
• Accessed and exported the entire CRM database on [date], three days before your resignation.

You have since used this misappropriated information to solicit [Company]'s clients and compete directly against us in нарушение of your legal obligations.

IMMEDIATE ТРЕБОВАНИЕS:

To avoid immediate legal action, you must comply with the following within 48 hours of receipt of this letter:

1. Cease and desist from all use, disclosure, or dissemination of [Company]'s trade secrets and конфиденциальный information.
2. Return all конфиденциальный materials, documents, files, and data in any form (physical, electronic, cloud-based) to [Company] at [address].
3. Certify in writing that you have:
   • Deleted all copies of конфиденциальный information from your personal devices (computers, phones, tablets, USB drives, external hard drives);
   • Deleted all copies from personal cloud storage accounts (Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, etc.);
   • Deleted all emails containing конфиденциальный information from personal email accounts; and
   • Not disclosed any конфиденциальный information to third parties.
4. Identify all individuals and entities to whom you disclosed [Company]'s конфиденциальный information, including your new работодатель, clients, business partners, and investors.
5. Preserve all доказательства related to your access, use, and disclosure of [Company]'s information. Do not delete, alter, or destroy any documents, emails, text messages, or electronic files.
6. Cease all contact with the following [Company] clients: [list specific clients if appropriate and legally supportable].

LEGAL CONSEQUENCES:

If you fail to comply fully with these demands, [Company] will immediately seek:

• A Temporary Restraining Order and preliminary injunction prohibiting your use of trade secrets;
• Monetary убытки for actual losses and unjust enrichment;
• Exemplary убытки of up to twice the amount of actual убытки under CUTSA and DTSA;
• Адвокатs' fees and costs for willful and malicious misappropriation; and
• All other relief available under state and federal law.

We expect your full written response and соблюдение by [specific date and time]. Direct all communications to me at [адвокат contact info].

[Optional мировое соглашение language:] While we are prepared to pursue all available remedies, we are willing to discuss a resolution that avoids protracted судебный процесс if you take immediate corrective action and demonstrate добросовестность.

С уважением,

[Адвокат Name]
Counsel for [Company Name]

The strongest trade secret cases are built on clear digital доказательства of theft:

Interview current работникs who may have knowledge of the former работник's activities:

• Co-workers who observed suspicious behavior: Staying late, working on personal devices, downloading files, taking photos of screens
• Managers who had exit conversations: What did the работник say about their plans? Did they lie about where they were going?
• IT staff: Unusual help desk tickets (password resets, access requests, исковое заявлениеs about locked-out USB drives)
• Clients who were contacted: Did they receive calls/emails from the former работник using your конфиденциальный information?

Compare your materials to the former работник's new work product to show copying:

Create side-by-side exhibits showing the similarities. The more identical the materials, the stronger the inference of copying.

Build a chronological timeline showing premeditation:

1. 3–6 months before departure: Incorporation of new competing business, domain registration, товарный знак filings
2. Final weeks: Spike in data access and downloads, meetings with clients positioned as "farewell" but actually transition discussions
3. Final days: Mass email forwarding, CRM exports, printing of конфиденциальный documents
4. Resignation: Short or no notice, vague about future plans or outright lies about new role
5. Post-departure: Immediate launch of competing business, client announcements, identical service offerings

This timeline shows the theft was intentional, planned, and willful—supporting claims for exemplary убытки and адвокатs' fees.

If ongoing misappropriation is causing irreparable harm, seek immediate суд intervention:

What the суд can order:

• Immediate cessation of use of trade secrets
• Return and destruction of all misappropriated materials
• Prohibition on soliciting specific clients (if trade-secret-based, not just noncompete)
• Forensic imaging of devices to verify deletion
• In extreme cases under DTSA: ex parte seizure of devices and materials

Most trade secret cases settle before trial. Common мировое соглашение structures:

• Standstill agreement: Ответчик agrees to stop using trade secrets; истец agrees not to sue for past conduct; mutual release
• Negotiated license: Ответчик pays royalty or lump sum to continue using information under defined constraints
• Return and destroy: Ответчик certifies return/destruction of all materials; истец releases past claims
• Client carve-out: Ответчик agrees not to solicit specific clients for defined period (if legally supportable)
• Monetary payment: Lump sum to cover убытки, адвокат fees, and avoid admission of ответственность
• Non-disparagement and конфиденциальныйity: Both sides agree not to discuss the dispute publicly

Continuing нарушение doctrine: If misappropriation is ongoing (e.g., ответчик continues to use stolen client list), the срок исковой давности may not begin to run until the use ceases.

Before sending your требование, use this tool to assess whether it risks violating California Business & Professions Code § 16600 or SB 699. A high risk score means you should revise your approach.

I represent companies in trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, and breach of fiduciary duty cases involving former работникs and подрядчикs. I handle matters from требованиеs through emergency TROs and full судебный процесс under CUTSA and DTSA.

• Forensic investigation coordination: Work with IT and forensic experts to document data theft and preserve доказательства
• Cease-and-desist требованиеs: Aggressive, legally sound letters demanding immediate cessation, return of materials, and preservation of доказательства
• Emergency injunctive relief: File for TROs and preliminary injunctions to stop ongoing misappropriation
• Trade secret судебный процесс: Prosecute claims under CUTSA and DTSA for убытки, exemplary убытки, and адвокатs' fees
• Мировое Соглашение negotiation: Secure favorable standstills, licenses, or monetary мировое соглашениеs without protracted судебный процесс
• California § 16600 соблюдение: Ensure требованиеs and судебный процесс strategy comply with California's anti-noncompete laws

1. Rapid response: Time is critical in trade secret cases. I move quickly to stop ongoing harm and preserve доказательства before it's destroyed.
2. Forensic-driven strategy: I work with IT and forensic experts to build airtight доказательства of theft—download logs, email trails, side-by-side comparisons.
3. Aggressive требованиеs: My cease-and-desist letters are detailed, доказательства-based, and designed to create immediate мировое соглашение pressure while preserving your right to emergency relief.
4. California law expertise: I navigate the tension between protecting your trade secrets and complying with California's strict anti-noncompete laws (§ 16600, SB 699).
5. Emergency судебный процесс readiness: If the former работник doesn't comply, I'm prepared to file for a TRO within 24–48 hours, with declarations, exhibits, and proposed orders ready to go.