Trade secret misappropriation and misuse — on both the civil and criminal side — is a core practice at Atlas Legal. Representing a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) whose technology was misappropriated by a major corporation, we led the first ever search and seizure of a major corporation by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and obtained a trade secret use prohibition injunction. On the defense side, we have obtained multiple non-prosecution dispositions at the investigation stage and multiple acquittals at trial in trade secret cases.
The key in trade secret cases is pursuing criminal complaints, injunctions, and civil litigation in an integrated, coordinated strategy. The criminal complaint drives a search and seizure to secure additional evidence; the injunction rapidly contains the damage; and the civil damages suit recovers losses. These three tracks reinforce each other.
In patent, copyright, trademark, and design matters, we protect client intellectual property through infringement injunctions, damages claims, and criminal complaints. Through our cooperation agreement with Woo-In Patent & Law Firm, we handle patent, trademark, and design filing and registration through to infringement response as a one-stop service.
Representing companies whose trade secrets have been misappropriated or leaked. Criminal complaint under the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act, driving search and seizure, injunction application, and civil damages litigation in parallel
Securing non-prosecution dispositions at the investigation stage, challenging the three trade secret requirements (non-public nature, independent economic value, confidentiality management), and arguing no wrongful acquisition, no misuse, and no criminal intent
Non-compete injunctions against employees joining competitors, damages for NDA breach, and disputes over the enforceability of non-compete agreements
Infringement injunctions, damages claims, and criminal complaints for patent and utility model infringement. One-stop service from filing and registration to dispute resolution through our cooperation with Woo-In Patent & Law Firm
Civil and criminal response to unauthorized reproduction, distribution, and transmission of copyrighted works, trademark and design right infringement, and counterfeit goods distribution. Infringement injunctions and damages claims
Patent, trademark, and design filing, registration, renewal, and appeal support through our cooperation with Woo-In Patent & Law Firm. Civil and criminal infringement response handled in-house after registration
First ever Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency search and seizure of a major corporation — represented an SME whose technology was misappropriated by a major corporation, and through a criminal complaint led the first ever compulsory investigation of a major corporation by the Seoul Metropolitan Police
Trade secret use prohibition injunction — obtained an injunction immediately suspending a departing employee’s use of trade secrets, with a simultaneous non-compete injunction against joining a competitor
Non-prosecution at investigation stage — proved that the alleged trade secrets failed to satisfy the confidentiality management requirement and that the information was obtained through legitimate means, securing multiple non-prosecution dispositions
Acquittals in trade secret criminal trials — proved that the alleged information failed to satisfy the three trade secret requirements, obtaining multiple acquittals at trial
Injunction win and settlement in trade secret misappropriation by a prime contractor against a subcontractor — pursued an injunction and Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) complaint in parallel against a prime contractor’s misappropriation of a subcontractor’s technology, obtaining an injunction and leading the prime contractor to a settlement