Jeffrey M. Csercsevits

Partner

Philadelphia

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Office phone 610.230.2159
Office fax610.230.2151

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Service Focus

Industry Focus

Financial Services

Overview

Jeffrey M. Csercsevits is a Partner in the Philadelphia office, where he focuses his national practice on restrictive covenants and trade secrets.

Financial Services

Jeff regularly represents Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firms, FINRA member firms, financial advisors, investment advisors, and financial planners in employment-related matters throughout the United States.

Jeff has represented clients in several hundred matters involving the transition of financial professionals to competitor firms. He has represented FINRA member firms and registered representatives in over 100 FINRA arbitration actions. He has also handled advisor transition matters in court, the American Arbitration Association, and JAMS Arbitration.

In the financial services space, Jeff has experience with employment agreements, non-competes, non-solicits, trade secrets, transition loans/promissory notes, retention loans, sunset/retirement agreements, teaming agreements, raiding, the Protocol for Broker Recruiting, unfair competition, wrongful termination, constructive discharge, compensation issues, and Form U5 defamation.

Injunctive Relief Litigation

Jeff has prosecuted and defended injunctive relief actions in state and federal courts throughout the United States, litigating claims of trade secret misappropriation and restrictive covenant breaches.

Employee Recruitment and Defection Counseling

Jeff routinely counsels clients on employee recruitment and hiring. He evaluates potential legal risks associated with hiring employees from the competition and offers strategic guidance for minimizing legal risk while still advancing business interests and promoting corporate growth.

Jeff also has extensive experience counseling clients on the loss of an employee to the competition. He has worked with clients to investigate breaches of post-employment obligations and to develop and implement enforcement strategies.

He has also investigated employees who are perceived flight risks and develops anticipatory strategies to minimize the impact of the expected departure. Jeff is also experienced with forensic investigations to assess an employee’s removal of trade secret information through electronic means in preparation for departure.

Upon completion of law school, Jeff served as a law clerk for the Honorable Paul T. Koenig, Jr., the Honorable Paul Innes, and the Honorable Bill Mathesius in the Superior Court of New Jersey. Jeff earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Trial Advocacy and is currently pursuing an additional LL.M. in Taxation.

Restrictive Covenant and Trade Secret Disputes

Represented a team of employees and their new employer where their former employer’s seven figure damages claim, based on alleged violations of their non-solicitation agreements, was denied in its entirety.
Secured a permanent injunction against an employee who was using misappropriated trade secrets to solicit business away from our client.
Represented an employee where his former employer’s motion for a permanent injunction, based on alleged trade secret misappropriation and breach of restrictive covenants, was denied.
Represented an employer in obtaining a temporary restraining order against a former employee, based on the misappropriation of trade secrets, enabling our client to protect against the disclosure of its trade secrets to a competitor.
Obtained a temporary restraining order against a team of employees for breaching non-solicitation agreements, which protected our client’s continued relationships with its customers.
Represented a team of employees and their new employer where their former employer’s motion for a temporary restraining order and motion for a preliminary injunction, based on allegations of trade secret misappropriation and breaches of their employment agreements, were both denied.
Represented a team of employees and their new employer where their former employer’s motion for a preliminary injunction, based on alleged trade secret misappropriation and violations of their restrictive covenant agreements, was denied.
Represented a team of employees where their former employer’s motion for a temporary restraining order, based on claims of trade secret misappropriation and breaches of their non-solicitation agreements, was denied.

Employment Disputes

Obtained a $1.8 million arbitration award on behalf of an employer in a breach of contract action. Successfully defended against the former employee’s counterclaims, including breach of contract, constructive discharge, and defamation.
Obtained a $1.1 million arbitration award on behalf of an employer in a breach of contract action. Successfully defended against the former employee’s counterclaims, including fraudulent inducement, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, and defamation.
Obtained a $965,000 arbitration award on behalf of an employer in a breach of contract action. Successfully defended against the former employee’s counterclaims for wrongful termination, defamation, tortious interference, and violation of the Lanham Act.