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Modern technology is making it much more difficult for businesses to protect their trade secrets. Long gone are the days when an unscrupulous company officer or employee would have to spend hours late at night at the copy machine to copy and steal valuable trade secrets like customer lists, plans or specifications. In the digital…

One area in Texas commercial litigation that continues to evolve is the cause of action for theft of trade secrets. State and federal statutes have recently been enacted making it easier for businesses to protect their trade secrets. This is becoming increasingly important in the digital age when large amounts of information including protected trade…

Just when it looked like all was lost for minority shareholders of closely held Texas corporations after the Texas Supreme Court eliminated shareholder oppression as a cause of action, along came the Court’s decision of Sneed v. Webre, 465 S.W.3d 169 (Tex. 2015). In this fascinating decision, the Court found that shareholders of TX closely…

The Texas Supreme Court has made it clear in a recent opinion that majority shareholders do not owe formal fiduciary duties to minority shareholders, even in closely held corporations. Cardiac Perfusion Services, Inc. v. Hughes, 436 S.W.3d 790 (Tex. 2014). However, a recent Texas appellate court held that managing members of a limited liability…

The last post discussed the Texas Supreme Court’s recent decision in Ritchie v. Rupe eliminating shareholder oppression as a cause of action in Texas.  However, all is not lost for minority owners in small corporations or limited liability companies who are treated unfairly.  In fact, the same court made it clear that board of director…

This past summer the Texas Supreme Court in Richie v. Rupe,  2014 Tex. LEXIS 500 (Tex. 2014),  all but eliminated shareholder oppression as a cause of action available to minority shareholders in closely held corporations being treated unfairly by the majority.  The Court held that there is no common law cause of action for…

It is no secret that a majority of Texas corporations are privately held companies controlled by a small number of shareholders.  The controlling shareholders in these corporations may have a duty not to oppress the economic interests of the shareholders holding a minority interest. There are currently three cases pending before the Texas Supreme Court …

Effective September 1, 2013 the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act becomes law.  In the past, trade secret law in Texas has been largely governed by a large and sometimes confusing body of case law.  Having a statute to rely upon should make it easier for companies to enforce their rights when their trade secrets are…