CA Court Concludes Contract, Common Law Claims not Preempted by Trade Secrets Act

The Court of Appeal for California’s Fourth Appellate District recently confirmed that the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act (CUTSA), a broad statute intended to be the last word in trade secret misappropriation cases, does not preclude separate but related common law claims, so long as these claims are not based entirely on the trade secret misappropriation. The ruling echoes similar decisions from other California appellate districts and is helpful to businesses seeking to protect against unfair competition.