The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has appealed a ruling from a federal court in Texas that blocked its sweeping ban of noncompete agreements. As Benesch previously highlighted in August, a federal district court in Texas...more
Yesterday, a Texas Federal Court permanently blocked the Federal Trade Commission's attempt to ban noncompete agreements. In doing so, the Texas Court determined that the Rule exceeded the FTC’s authority and, as such, was an...more
The hot mess known as the FTC Rule to Ban Non-Competes (“Rule”) continues to get hotter and messier as two Federal District Courts issue conflicting opinions. This conflict between the Federal Courts will not be resolved...more
8/6/2024
/ Best Practices ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Bans ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Pending Legislation ,
Popular ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Unfair Competition
Last Wednesday, a federal court in Texas made a preliminary ruling that partially blocks the FTC’s rule that rendered most noncompetes in this country unenforceable (the “FTC Ban”). The FTC’s Ban was set to go into effect on...more
Q: When will we know the Court’s Ruling on the FTC Non-Compete Ban? A: July 3rd.
...more
As we reported last week, the FTC voted to enact its Rule banning non-competes and the lawsuits quickly followed. Although three lawsuits have been filed so far, the lawsuit to watch is the United States Chamber of Commerce...more
The FTC has voted to enact its Rule to ban Non-Compete Agreements/Clauses. The vote to enact the Rule comes as no surprise but there were two noticeable changes to the Rule that was originally proposed and the Rule that the...more
4/24/2024
/ Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Contract Terms ,
Corporate Executives ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Independent Contractors ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Notice Requirements ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Unfair Competition
As previously highlighted by Benesch, California strengthened its long-standing prohibition on non-competition agreements on January 1, 2024.
In addition, and also as previously highlighted by Benesch, one of these...more
Non-competition agreements are currently in a volatile state, and the future of their enforceability has been called into question by the current administration, and several state legislatures enacting limitations (and in...more
The Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) threats of “cracking down” on non-competition agreements transformed into actual action with two dramatic moves this week. First, on January 4, the FTC ordered three companies,...more
The Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) threats of “cracking down” on non-competition agreements transformed into actual action with two dramatic moves this week. First, on January 4, the FTC ordered three companies,...more
1/9/2023
/ Competition ,
Contract Terms ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Proposed Rules ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Section 5 ,
Unenforceable Contract Terms ,
Unfair Competition
2021 was an active year for trade secret and restrictive covenant law. 28 states introduced a total of 68 restrictive covenant bills, the United States Senate re-examined two prior restrictive covenant bills, and President...more
12/3/2021
/ Antitrust Division ,
Biden Administration ,
Employment Contract ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Trade Secrets
Benesch previously informed its clients about the significant changes made to Illinois restrictive covenants law by the Illinois legislature in the waning moments of its most recent legislative session. These changes include,...more
On July 9, 2021, President Biden signed a sweeping Executive Order (“EO”) intended to promote competition in a number of sectors of the economy, including healthcare. The EO targets 4 areas of healthcare in particular -...more
8/10/2021
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Biden Administration ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Employment Contract ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Insurance Industry ,
Low-Wage Workers ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Technology Sector
At the end of the legislative session, the Illinois legislature amended the “Illinois Freedom to Work Act” in a manner that dramatically alters the landscape of Illinois Restrictive Covenant Law. Perhaps by design, there was...more