This week, Judge Ada E. Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Ryan v. The Federal Trade Commission upheld a challenge by business groups to the FTC’s non-compete ban. In addition to confirming...more
8/22/2024
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
FTC Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
Yesterday (July 23), a Pennsylvania judge—in ATS Tree Services, LLC v. Federal Trade Commission—upheld the legality of the FTC's non-compete ban. This ruling contradicts the ruling recently issued in a parallel proceeding in...more
Mark your calendars for July 3—the date we will likely learn whether a Texas Court will enjoin the FTC Rule banning non-competes from taking effect on September 4. This week, Judge Ada Brown, the presiding judge in Ryan, LLC...more
5/9/2024
/ Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Labor Reform ,
Motion To Enjoin ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
To date, three lawsuits have been filed challenging the legality of the FTC’s Final Rule banning non-competes. The initial two cases were filed in Texas federal court, which is widely viewed as a more hospitable forum for...more
5/1/2024
/ Chamber of Commerce ,
Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Labor Reform ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) conducted a special Open Commission Meeting to vote on a Final Rule (the “Rule”) banning most non-compete clauses as an “unfair method of competition.” By a vote of 3-2,...more
4/25/2024
/ Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Contract Terms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Labor Reform ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants
On January 9, 2024, shareholders in our Restrictive Covenant and Trade Secret Practice Group conducted a webinar covering “What Employers Need to Know About Non-Competes in 2024.” A recording of that webinar is available...more
Non-compete agreements have had a rough 2023, most recently with President Biden specifically calling them out on Tuesday evening during his State of the Union and emphasizing his Administration’s opposition to them. This,...more
2/10/2023
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Biden Administration ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Former Employee ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Restrictive Covenants
As we recently reported, on January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule banning the use of non-compete covenants in nearly all circumstances. The FTC is seeking comments on the proposed rule until March 20,...more
1/25/2023
/ Comment Period ,
Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Unfair Competition