By: David Walton

Bad economic times create opportunities for strong companies to poach good employees from a weakened competitor -- a signal for employers to aggressively protect trade secrets.

In fact, employees in sour economic conditions are apt to switch companies to head off potential job loss. This is especially true for workers controlling or having access to a "book" of business. For these employees, their book is their life. Oftentimes, their compensation at the new company is contingent, in part, on how much business follows them.

Here's a look at steps companies and their counsel can take to prevent trade secret theft and to act effectively if they believe a departing or new employee has stolen critical information.

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