Espionage

Defending Clients Charged with Espionage

We hear the term from time to time in the news, and it calls up unpleasant thoughts and opinions – espionage.  What exactly constitutes this offense?  Espionage can be defined as obtaining information that is considered secret without permission of the information’s holder.  We generally think of this act as a government-against-government effort, but industrial espionage can be committed by a corporation that is seeking the theft of trade secrets and other confidential information.  Regardless of the nature of an espionage charge, if you have been arrested for this offense, you will need our experience.

It is understood that espionage against the United State is an offense that can lead to deportation, imprisonment or even execution.  A more likely charge stems from what is known as “economic espionage,” essentially the theft of trade secrets.  Passed in 1996 by the U.S. Congress, the Economic Espionage Act sets out laws regarding the stealing of ideas, formulas and products for the purpose of economic gain.  With an unregulated and rapidly expanding global market, these offenses are tenaciously pursued by the Department of Justice, lest exploitation of proprietary secrets become an uncontrollable problem.  Conviction on economic espionage charges can lead to up to 15 years imprisonment, and companies who are found guilty can be subject to up to $10 million in fines for such behavior.

We at McLane, Bednarski & Litt, LLP, are intimately concerned with client care, aggressive representation, and constant communication.  Our team has decades of combined experience in federal criminal defense, civil rights cases and federal appellate litigation.  We are dedicated to protecting your legal rights and to ensuring that clients receive a strong defense.

[The client portrayed is an actor and this is a dramatization]

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