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Business Law · Confidentiality & Espionage

Sub-Practice Trade Secrets & Corporate Espionage.

Protecting trade secrets and responding to corporate espionage — data leaving with departing employees, breach of confidentiality clauses and unlawful access by competitors.

How We Can Help Discuss Your Matter
20+Years of Experience
All of GreeceCoverage
3Languages
Interim MeasuresImmediate
Trade Secrets in Practice
Experience in protecting confidential business information and in dealing with breaches of trade secrets before the Greek courts — from breaches of confidentiality obligations through to the unlawful acquisition or use of business information.
Cross-Border Experience
Where a trade secret matter involves foreign competitors, employees abroad or the cross-border transfer of information, multilingual and cross-border experience makes a practical difference. We work in English, Greek and Italian.
Do you suspect a breach of a trade secret?
Tell us about your matter and we will assess your legal position, the options available and the next steps.
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Overview Scope of Service Experience FAQs

Trade Secrets & Corporate Espionage

Protecting a trade secret
begins before the leak.

Unlike a patent or a trade mark, a trade secret is not registered with any authority. Its protection depends on the measures the business takes to keep the information confidential — access restrictions, confidentiality agreements and appropriate internal procedures. If a dispute arises, what matters is whether the business can show that those measures were genuinely applied.

The point at which an employee leaves is particularly critical. Access to client lists, commercial data, pricing information, know-how or product data can create a serious risk, especially where the employee is moving to a competitor. Revoking access in time, preserving the relevant material and following a proper exit procedure can make a decisive difference.

A confidentiality agreement on its own is not enough. The business has to be able to show that it took reasonable measures to protect its information.

Where a breach is suspected, time is critical. Preserving the electronic and other evidence and, where required, applying immediately for interim measures can limit the continuing use of the information and protect the commercial position of the business.

No registration
Trade secrets are not registered — the protection has to be proved
Whether information qualifies in law as a trade secret depends on the measures the business takes to protect it — access controls, confidentiality agreements and the classification of information — and on its ability to evidence them.
Departing employees
An employee's departure calls for particular care
Departures, especially where the employee moves to a competitor, can significantly increase the risk of confidential information leaving with them.
Speed of response
Where there is a breach, time matters
Electronic evidence can be lost or altered and the use of the information can continue. Preserving the evidence in time and, where required, applying for interim measures can limit the damage.
Protection in Practice
A confidentiality clause on its own is not enough
Confidentiality agreements are only part of the protection. Access controls, the proper classification of information and sound exit procedures help a business protect its information and show that it took reasonable protective measures.

Scope of Service

From preventing the breach
to responding to it.

Drafting Confidentiality Clauses & NDAs
Drafting and reviewing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), confidentiality clauses and information-sharing agreements, tailored to the particular relationship and to the information that needs protecting.
NDAConfidentialityDrafting
01
Designing a Trade Secret Protection System
Designing practices and procedures to protect trade secrets, from the classification of information and access controls through to internal policies and employee exit procedures.
Access ControlsClassificationPolicy Design
02
Managing Risk on Employee Departure
Exit procedures, the review and revocation of access to systems and company devices, and questions of garden leave, aimed at limiting the risk of confidential information being lost or leaked.
Exit ProtocolsAccess RevocationGarden Leave
03
Proving Corporate Espionage
Coordinating the preservation of electronic evidence and the forensic imaging of company devices where a leak or unlawful access is suspected, securing the integrity of the material for the proceedings that follow.
ForensicsEvidence PreservationInvestigation
04
Interim Measures & Urgent Court Action
Applications for interim measures and temporary restraining orders to stop the use or disclosure of confidential information immediately, where there is a risk of continuing breach and further loss.
Interim MeasuresUrgent ReliefProvisional Measures
05
Trade Secret Litigation
Bringing claims for damages and other remedies before the Greek courts against former collaborators and competitors for the unlawful acquisition, use or disclosure of confidential information, building on the evidence preserved and documented from day one.
LitigationDamagesMisappropriation
06

Why Pantazis & Associates

A clause is not enough.
A protection system is what is needed.

Litigation Experience · Greek Courts
Trade Secrets before the Greek Courts
Experience in protecting confidential business information and in dealing with breaches of trade secrets before the Greek courts, including claims for damages and other remedies against former collaborators or competitors.
A Preventive Approach
Protection begins before the leak
We help businesses design access controls, information classification and exit procedures, so as to limit the risk of a leak and to have the necessary documentation if a breach occurs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about trade secrets and corporate espionage.

What counts as a "trade secret" under Greek law?+

A trade secret can be any business information — a client list, a pricing model, a production process or source code — that is not generally known and has commercial value because it remains confidential. To be protected as a trade secret, the business must have taken reasonable measures to preserve its confidentiality: access restrictions, confidentiality agreements, appropriate marking and access limited to those who need to know. In a dispute, the business has to be able to prove both the confidential character and commercial value of the information and the measures it took to protect it.

Is a confidentiality clause enough to protect our confidential information?+

On its own, usually not. A signed confidentiality clause shows that the counterparty or the employee was told the information was confidential, but it is not enough on its own to show that the business treated it as a trade secret in practice. The overall picture matters: who had access to the information, whether access was restricted, whether the information was properly marked, and whether there were internal procedures for its use and distribution. A confidentiality clause without corresponding protective measures leaves a significant gap. The agreement should be part of a wider protection system, not the only measure the business takes.

Related Services

Other Business Law services.

Employment Law
Non-compete and confidentiality clauses are often part of the employment relationship. Managing the risk that arises when an employee leaves therefore belongs both to employment law and to the protection of trade secrets.
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Outsourced Legal Department
Ongoing legal support on a monthly basis, with questions of confidentiality and the protection of trade secrets handled within the standing arrangement as and when they arise.
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Commercial Disputes & Litigation
Where a breach of a trade secret calls for court action, we take the claim before the Greek courts, from interim measures and provisional relief through to the main proceedings.
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Suspect a trade secret has been leaked?
Speed matters — let's talk now.

Talk to us about your matter and we will look at the options available and the next steps.

Contact +30 210 36 33 694