A central takeaway from the discussion was the critical need for speed. Practitioners are seeing trade secret claims rise, driven largely by employee mobility and competitive hiring, particularly where employees move directly to competitors with access to sensitive information. As a result, companies are becoming more sophisticated about identifying potential misappropriation early and acting quickly to protect trade secrets before competitive harm occurs.

Another key driver is the maturation of damages models under the Defend Trade Secrets Act. Courts and juries are increasingly comfortable with complex damages theories, contributing to larger and more consistent awards. Recent verdicts — including awards exceeding $200 million — have reinforced trade secret litigation as a high‑stakes enforcement tool rather than a secondary alternative to patent claims.