Work for Hire Dispute — former employee took trade secrets

I'm in a difficult situation and trying to figure out my next steps.

former employee took trade secrets. I've been dealing with this for about 8 weeks now and the situation isn't improving.

This involves content I created over the past 17 months. I do have documentation proving my ownership and timeline.

What's the typical outcome in situations like this?

I work in this industry and unfortunately this is very common. The good news is that when people actually push back with legal representation, companies usually settle.

Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is escalating to a supervisor/manager. I'd recommend following the formal complaint procedure instead.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's attorney general? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.

This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.

Following this thread — I'm in a very similar situation. Would love to hear how it turns out.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is filing with the appropriate government agency. I'd recommend gathering evidence first instead.

I specialize in this area of law. Here's my take on the legal issues.

The legal framework here involves both federal and state law. At the federal level, the Lanham Act. Your state may provide additional protections.

The practical consideration here is cost vs. potential recovery. For disputes under $10K, small claims court is often the best route.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's attorney general? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.

I've dealt with this before.

In my case, it took about 3-6 months to resolve. The key was having everything documented.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

In my case, it took about 1-3 months to resolve. The key was escalating to a supervisor/manager.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is filing with the appropriate government agency. I'd recommend gathering evidence first instead.

I work in this industry and unfortunately this is very common. The good news is that when people actually push back with legal representation, companies usually settle.

Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is escalating to a supervisor/manager. I'd recommend following the formal complaint procedure instead.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's legal aid society? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.