Texas Business Court Divides Trade Secret Settlement Proceeds 50-50 Between Co-Developers Despite Funding Disparity

The Business Court of Texas held that Mesquite Energy and Sanchez Oil & Gas were co-owners of trade secrets arising from a cost-reduction drilling project, entitling each to 50% of settlement proceeds from misappropriation litigation against former employees, despite Mesquite having funded the project's development. The court further ordered Sanchez to reimburse Mesquite for half of the attorneys' fees incurred prosecuting the trade secret case under unjust enrichment principles.