Report reveals growing importance of trade secrets

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Report reveals growing importance of trade secrets

At least one in five companies have suffered trade secret theft, and 82% of executives say trade secrets are an important, if not essential, part of their business according to a new report

The report, The Board Ultimatum: Protect and Preserve, was published by Baker McKenzie in association with Euromoney Institutional Investor Thought Leadership, which is part of the same company as Managing IP.

It is available to read online.

It suggests that trade secrets more important for businesses in the digital economy, but that many companies aren't taking basic steps to protect them.

Based on a survey of 400 executives across five industries, the report found:

  • 82% of respondents said their trade secrets are an important, if not essential, part of their business.

  • 46% of financial services executives said they consider their trade secrets to be essential to their corporate strategy.

  • 61% of respondents said protecting trade secrets and IP is a board-level issue.

  • 20% of companies said they have had trade secrets stolen. Another 11% said they didn't know if they had or not.

  • 33% of healthcare executives said they have suffered trade secret theft.

  • 32% said respondents said theft by former employees was the greatest threat to their trade secrets.

  • Only one-third of companies maintain inventories of their trade secrets and have action plans for responding to theft.

The report also includes a case study of Schott, interviews with trade secrets specialists, updates on trade secrets legislation in the EU, US and China, and advice on what companies need to do.





more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

In major recent developments, the court also ruled on another request concerning access to documents and appointed a new panel to the Court of Appeal
A new foundation in Chile is giving women in the IP community the mentorship, and visibility they’ve long lacked
The EUIPO is keen to stress the benefits of mediation as a means of resolving IP disputes, but do roadblocks remain?
Åsa Gustafson, global patent paralegal manager at Zacco, provides insight into the world of a paralegal, explains how she keeps abreast of legal developments, and reveals a passion for weaving
Alif Gultom and Andrew Diamond of Januar Jahja & Partners explain why Indonesia must adopt reforms against bad-faith filings and safeguard its trademark system for the future
In the third episode of a podcast series celebrating the tenth anniversary of IP Inclusive, we discuss the ‘Women in IP’ network and the current state of diversity within the profession
Practitioners, including two ex USPTO directors, say the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act could restore clarity and predictability to US patent law, though concerns remain
News of an alliance between two Malaysian law firms and the launch of a self-help video aimed at supporting IP professionals through menopause were also among the top talking points
Speakers at the EUIPO’s IP Mediation Conference discussed how lawyers can act in tandem with clients during mediation, and the importance of showing a united front
A report that revealed top legal LinkedIn influencers are generating hundreds of thousands in advertising value is the push lawyers need to up their social media presence
Gift this article