Eric Ostroff

Trade Secrets & IP, Commercial Litigation, Employment, Trial Practice

Eric Ostroff serves as Managing Partner of Meland Budwick and Chair of the firm’s Trade Secrets and IP Group. He focuses his practice on trade secrets and noncompete litigation.

Eric helps businesses protect their trade secrets and proprietary information, both before and during litigation. He works with companies to identify and protect this critical information. And he has more than two decades of experience representing corporate and individual plaintiffs and defendants in trade secrets and noncompete actions throughout Florida and nationwide.

Eric’s trade secrets practice has earned national recognition. He serves on the Steering Committee of The Sedona Conference Working Group on Trade Secrets, a nonpartisan think tank that gathers preeminent experts to publish consensus commentaries on cutting-edge legal issues. He also teaches Trade Secrets Law at the University of Miami School of Law and speaks and writes frequently on the topic.

Businesses and individuals trust Eric to protect their interests in courts and arbitrations across the country, often in bet-the-company cases. In addition to trade secrets disputes, he regularly litigates a broad range of business disputes, including cases involving breaches of contract, business torts, officer and director fiduciary duties, business defamation, civil conspiracy, unfair competition, false advertising, real estate, and deceptive and unfair trade practices. He has successfully tried many cases to verdict before judges, juries, and arbitration panels.

Eric has been quoted on business litigation and trade secrets issues in major media outlets, including the New York Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, and the Miami Herald, and is frequently invited to speak throughout the country about trade secrets, business litigation, and the use of AI in litigation.

University of Miami School of Law, Adjunct Professor, Trade Secrets Law

The Sedona Conference Working Group on Trade Secrets, Steering Committee Member, Drafting Team Co-Chair, and Dialogue Leader

American Intellectual Property Law Association, Trade Secrets Committee and Trademark Litigation Committee

Section of Litigation, American Bar Association

Trial Lawyers Section, The Florida Bar

Member, Dade County Bar Association

“Cos. Must Update Protocols To Protect Trade Secrets From AI,” Law360, April 2026

“Florida Chapter” in Noncompete Agreements and Related Restrictive Covenants, Practising Law Institute, March 2026

“Protecting Trade Secrets” blog protectingtradesecrets.com

“Lessons for Employers from Obama’s Push Back Against Noncompetes,” Daily Business Review, December 9, 2016

“The ‘George Costanza Defense’ to Stealing Trade Secrets," Entrepreneur, October 21, 2014

"Avoid These 6 Mistakes When Safeguarding Proprietary Information,” Entrepreneur, June 20, 2014

“Seeking Trade Secret Protection? Don’t Rely on a Label,”Entrepreneur, May 12, 2014

“5 Ways to Shrink the Threat of an Employee’s Exit to Proprietary Info,” Entrepreneur, April 29, 2014

Intellectual Property:

Represented one of South Florida’s largest real estate brokerages in vicarious copyright infringement matters.

Represented a U.K.-based manufacturer of a spray-on, liquid, peelable coating that is used globally to protect surfaces during construction. Meland Budwick brought suit in federal court against its former U.S. distributor, as well as related entities, who we allege stole the formula and manufacturing process for our client’s primary product. We asserted claims for misappropriation of trade secrets, conversion, and civil conspiracy. This case settled on confidential terms.

Represented a professional sports league in a trademark infringement action filed by a competing league in the Southern District of New York. This matter settled on confidential terms.

Represented a leading national provider of healthcare through Medicare Advantage plans, operating in a number of states, in a suit against the companies’ former regional medical director who left to work for a competitor. The suit alleged misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract. This matter settled on confidential terms.

Commercial Litigation:

Lead counsel representing IRA Financial Trust, LLC, a South Dakota-based leading provider of self-directed retirement accounts, in a number of matters around the country arising from the criminal theft of $37 million in crypto assets from IRA’s customers. This includes successfully defending IRA in a nationwide class action filed in the Northern District of California; bringing a claim against the Gemini crypto exchange (owned by the Winklevoss brothers of Facebook fame) in the Southern District of New York; defending against dozens of arbitrations filed with the AAA and JAMS by customers across the country; and dealing with various regulators.

Acting as primary outside counsel to the Piper Aircraft Corporation Irrevocable Trust. Meland Budwick represents the trust in litigation and is currently representing the Trust in connection with matters in the UK, Texas, and California.

Eric regularly litigates a broad range of business disputes, including cases involving breaches of contract, business torts, officer/director fiduciary duties, business defamation, civil conspiracy, unfair competition, false advertising, real estate, and deceptive and unfair trade practices. He also represents plaintiffs and defendants in trademark and copyright infringement actions. Eric is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried many cases to verdict, before judges, juries, and arbitration panels.