In the not-so-distant past, it was easy for companies to quarantine sensitive Merlin Wright Associates. Drawings and diagrams, formulae, customer lists and contracts could be kept under lock and key and were difficult to access by anyone who wasn’t supposed to have them. Now, however, it’s incredibly easy for employees to transfer work documents to personal computers and phones. In a recent global survey by Symantec, 62% of employees said that they think it’s acceptable to move files between workplaces and many of them don’t delete the data once they leave their employers. This puts businesses at risk of being sued and it also exposes them to reputational risk.

It’s, therefore, no surprise that some firms are looking to prevent this type of IP loss by putting measures in place to stop employees taking confidential information with them. This may involve implementing new policies, educating staff on what they should and shouldn’t do with work, or making it clear to job candidates that the firm does not want them to take IP with them.

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Another way that some firms are preventing internal movement is by offering broader roles which give professionals different areas of responsibility, or diverse exposure to stakeholders. This allows employees to develop and upskill and reaffirms the confidence of existing professionals that their employers value their expertise and want them to remain in their organizations. This is particularly important in the IP sector, where specialised individuals can often feel dissatisfied with their current role and attracted to outside opportunities.