China court issues first preliminary injunction in trade secrets case

SHANGHAI - The Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court - before a trial on the merits of the case - has issued a preliminary injunction order against a former employee of the Chinese subsidiary of a US-based pharmaceutical company. Lawyers Baker & McKenzie say the injunction restrains him from disclosing, using, or allowing others to use certain documents containing trade secrets that he downloaded from the company’s database without authorisation. In addition, the court issued an asset preservation order to freeze the ex-employee’s real property and bank account pending the trial.