1st Circ. Ruling Bolsters Insurer Trade Secret Protections

Ali Mojibi’s commentary was included in a Law360 article covering a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to uphold a ruling that two former Allstate agents misappropriated the company's trade secrets by using spreadsheets containing information about thousands of customers for their own business. The article also explores how the decision will affect future trade secrets cases.

Ali pointed out that “the court accepts almost as a matter of law, the idea that a customer list of the type that is at issue here is per se trade secret and that, in and of itself, I think is a very significant holding.”

Ali added that the decision could support arguments that customer lists are protected as a trade secret as a matter of law, saying, "It is certainly a decision that's going to be an arrow in the quiver of parties and lawyers who are asserting trade secrets based on alleged misappropriation of customer lists."