Moreover, Coleman is right in suggesting that a better compensation package could be offered in an attempt to retain Carpenter.

How could the crisis have been avoided?

For one, at the time of hiring Carpenter, I would have insisted on the company's in-house developmental data and operations information remaining confidential after Carpenter moves on to another firm. Even if Carpenter had refused to sign a contract that would prevent him from leaving and signing on to another company, the contract could have included a confidential information clause, preventing him from sharing company (trade) secrets with future employers. Steven Emanuel and Lazar Emanuel explain in their book Corporations that any of the following acts can be considered "wrongful taking of trade secrets": a) soliciting a "large number of the former employer's customers"; b) soliciting of the former company's employees; and c) use of the former employer's "secret processes" or other strategies...
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