Collect all information before you call your lawyer

Your secret recipe for a microbrew is missing or you find someone manufacturing an invention you’ve patented. The law protects both, even information that doesn’t seem “official” because it’s not patented. What to do?

You have work to do before you call your lawyer.

• Collect information. Beware who you talk to: You may prejudice their thoughts by what you say, or give away suspicions to someone involved in the problem, like an employee selling information to a competitor. Collect related documents, internal memos, emails, contracts, letters, notes.
• Organize it to tell your story. Don’t leave anything out — sometimes what you…