News & Analysis as of

Contract Disputes Restrictive Covenants Non-Compete Agreements

ArentFox Schiff

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Ruling: Noncompetition Agreement Act Does Not Apply to Forfeiture Clauses

ArentFox Schiff on

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) recently clarified the scope of the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act (MNAA). In Susan Miele v. Foundation Medicine, Inc., the SJC held the MNAA does not apply where a...more

Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP

Delaware Chancery Court Narrows the Path for Enforceable Non-Competes: Lessons from North American Fire and Payscale

A notable trend has emerged in Delaware with respect to the enforceability of non-competes – while once considered a management-friendly jurisdiction, two recent decisions demonstrate a marked shift towards a closer scrutiny...more

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

MA SJC Upholds Forfeiture for Employee Breaching Non-Solicitation Agreement

On June 13, 2025, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled in Susan Miele v. Foundation Medicine, Inc., that the Massachusetts Non-Competition Agreement Act (the “Act”) does not apply to a non-solicitation...more

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints

Top Massachusetts Court Clarifies That Non-Solicitation Covenants Fall Outside the State’s Non-Compete Law

In a closely watched decision, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Miele v. Foundation Medicine, Inc. clarified that the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act (MNAA) (G.L. c. 149, § 24L) does not apply to...more

Potomac Law Group, PLLC

NDAs with Extras: What You Didn’t Sign Up For

Anyone who has had even passing exposure to technology companies has dealt with Non-Disclosure Agreements (commonly referred to as "NDAs" in high-tech companies but "CDAs" in pharma/biotech to distinguish them from the other...more

Morgan Lewis

Massachusetts High Court Clarifies Noncompete Law’s Scope, Declines to Let Nonsolicits ‘Through the Back Door’

Morgan Lewis on

In Miele v. Foundation Medicine, Inc., the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) clarified that the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act (MNAA or the Act) does not apply to a forfeiture clause triggered by a breach...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

Avoiding a Tragic End to a Fiduciary Relationship

Robins Kaplan LLP on

Blockbuster movies follow varied plotlines—some tragic, some heartwarming, some a mix. Often they are based on human dramas. In the real world, fiduciary relationships can set the proverbial stage for unwelcomed high drama,...more

Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

Massachusetts High Court Rules for Employer in Nonsolicitation Challenge

Although the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act expressly excludes nonsolicitation agreements from its definition of “noncompetition agreements,” the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) recently responded to a...more

Morgan, Brown & Joy, LLP

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Clarifies Scope of Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act

On Friday, June 13, 2025, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its decision in Miele v. Foundation Medicine, Inc., SJC-13967, holding that forfeiture clauses tied to non-solicitation agreements were definitively...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Supreme Judicial Court Clarifies Scope of Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act

Holland & Knight LLP on

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) has ruled that a forfeiture clause triggered by a breach of a non-solicitation agreement is not a "forfeiture for competition agreement" under the Massachusetts Noncompetition...more

BCLP

Hong Kong High Court Grants Injunction to Enforce Restrictive Covenants

BCLP on

In two separate decisions in April 2025, the Hong Kong High Court first refused, but then allowed, an IT company’s application for an interlocutory injunction to enforce post-termination restrictive covenants against its...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

Tenth Circuit Affirms Distinction Between Forfeiture and Penalty for Competition

In Lawson v. Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld the forfeiture of certain stock awards for violating a covenant not to compete. Like the Seventh Circuit in LKQ Corp. v....more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Restrictive Covenants Unenforceable Where Consideration Forfeited

Troutman Pepper Locke on

In North American Fire Ultimate Holdings, LP v. Alan Doorly, the Delaware Court of Chancery held that the restrictive covenants included in an incentive unit grant agreement were unenforceable when the units received by the...more

Morgan Lewis - Tech & Sourcing

Radius Clauses in Music Performance Contracts

As the summer 2025 concert season continues to ramp up, we want to take the opportunity to explain why your favorite band or artist might only be performing once in your region this summer: a radius clause....more

Lathrop GPM

Massachusetts Federal Court Grants Preliminary Injunction for Noncompete Violations, Denies Injunction for Trademark Infringement

Lathrop GPM on

A federal court in Massachusetts recently granted, in part, a Motion for Preliminary Injunction as to enforcement of franchise agreement noncompete covenants but denied the motion as to claims of trademark infringement,...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

Complying With Recent Guidance From Delaware Courts Regarding Enforcement of Noncompetes

Foley & Lardner LLP on

In line with the national trend making noncompetes more difficult to enforce, a number of Delaware courts have recently refused to “blue pencil” overbroad noncompetition agreements and have stricken them in their entirety. As...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Delaware Supreme Court Curbs Erosion of Forfeiture-for-Competition Protections

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Delaware has long been favored by businesses for many reasons, including its courts’ deference to parties’ ability to contract. Recently, however, the Delaware Chancery Court was seemingly less deferential to restrictive...more

Holland & Knight LLP

A Cautionary Tale from arrivia Inc. v. Rowley

Holland & Knight LLP on

Enforceability of releases for unknown claims at the time of settlement is a well-established legal principle, as highlighted in the recent case, arrivia Inc. v. Rowley, No. CV-23-01039-PHX-DLR, 2023 WL 7386384 (D. Ariz. Nov....more

Harris Beach Murtha PLLC

Non-Competes and Other Restrictive Covenants: Two Perspectives, One Clear Picture

For employers, non-compete agreements and other restrictive covenants, such as non-solicitation or non-disclosure agreements, can serve as a powerful tool to protect their business and defend their interests. However, these...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Whether the “Economic Loss Rule” Applies To DTSA Claims

Holland & Knight LLP on

A trade secret misappropriation claim can arise from the same facts as, and be joined with, a claim for breach of contract by the defendant, such as a breach of a covenant not to compete or breach of a non-disclosure...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Court Was Wrong to Re-Write Covenants

In Prophet v Huggett [2014] ECWA Civ 1013, the Court of Appeal has overturned a recent decision of the High Court in which it had re-written a non-compete covenant to give it commercial effect. You may recall that we...more

21 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 1

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide