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Restrictive Covenants Contract Terms Employment Litigation

Jenner & Block

Delaware Court Refuses to Enforce or Modify Overbroad Noncompete in Cleveland Integrity Services v. Byers

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In Cleveland Integrity Services, LLC v. Byers (Del. Ch. Feb. 28, 2025), the Delaware Court of Chancery declined to enforce a two-year non-compete agreement that it found to be geographically overbroad and refused to narrow or...more

Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP

Contemporaneous Onboarding Documents May Invalidate An Employer’s “Squeaky Clean” Arbitration Agreement

Cross Country Healthcare, Inc., a healthcare staffing company, believed that it had a “squeaky clean” Arbitration Agreement with its employees. ...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

Conn Kavanaugh

It’s Confirmed: Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act Excludes Non-Solicitation Agreements

Conn Kavanaugh on

On June 13, 2025, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) issued a significant decision in Miele v. Foundation Medicine, Inc. (SJC-13697) confirming that the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act (the “MNAA”) does...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

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

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

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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

Farrell Fritz, P.C.

The Forfeited Equity Trap: Why Your Non-Compete Might Be Worthless

Farrell Fritz, P.C. on

Imagine you’re a private equity firm. You buy a company, and you want to retain and incentivize key employees, so you give them some equity in the form of incentive units.  You also want to prevent them from running off and...more

Hendershot Cowart P.C.

Are Non-Compete Agreements Banned in Texas?

Last year in April, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a rule to ban most non-compete agreements nationwide. Within hours the rule was challenged in courts across the country, and after months of federal litigation...more

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints

Mintz On Air: Practical Policies – When Should You Hire an Employment Lawyer?

In the latest episode of the Mintz on Air: Practical Policies podcast, Member Jen Rubin discusses with colleague and Member Andrew Bernstein when the best time is to hire an employment lawyer. This episode is part of a series...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

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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

Morris James LLP

Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies Enforcement of Forfeiture-for-Competition Provisions

Morris James LLP on

LKQ Corp. v. Rutledge, C.A. No. 110, 2024 (Del. Dec. 18, 2024) - In this en banc decision, the Delaware Supreme Court answered a certified question from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

North Carolina Business Court Decision on Noncompetes and Trade Secrets Has Implications for Employers

Earlier this month, the North Carolina Business Court addressed important issues surrounding noncompete and nondisclosure agreements, providing valuable insights for employers navigating these complex areas of employment law....more

Jenner & Block

Delaware Supreme Court Reaffirms Reluctance to Blue-Pencil Overbroad Restrictive Covenants in Sunder v. Jackson

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The Delaware Supreme Court’s decision in Sunder Energy, LLV v. Jackson, No. 455, 2023, 2024 Del. LEXIS 407 (December 10, 2024) reaffirmed the courts’ limited willingness to modify or “blue-pencil” overbroad restrictive...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

Noncompetes in Flux: What Else Can Employers Do to Protect Themselves?

Foley & Lardner LLP on

As we continue to report, noncompete agreements have been subject to unprecedented scrutiny over the past few years. Last April, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized a rule (“Final Rule”) ostensibly banning...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Feeling Competitive: The Reasonableness of Forfeiture-for-Competition Provisions

Troutman Pepper Locke on

In 2024, employers rushed to track the twists and turns of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) noncompete ban, which attempted to limit the enforceability of agreements that restrict employees from working for a competitor...more

King & Spalding

VSOPs – the End of Bad Leaver Clauses in Germany?

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Virtual Stock Option Plans (VSOPs) are a common tool used by companies to incentivize employees by linking part of their compensation to the company’s long-term success. Unlike traditional stock options, VSOPs do not grant...more

FordHarrison

"In Any Capacity" Language Dooms Georgia Non-Compete Provision

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Prior to the enactment of Georgia’s Restrictive Covenant Act (“GRCA”), Georgia courts uniformly struck down non-compete provisions that used “in any capacity language”, i.e., a non-compete that prohibited an employee from...more

Holland & Hart - Employers' Lawyers

Wyoming Legislature Takes a Bite Out of Covenants Not to Compete

Brad Cave by Brad Cave Governor Gordon signed a bill this week to significantly narrow the enforceability of covenants not to compete under Wyoming law.  While the new law leaves Wyoming businesses with a few options to...more

Epstein Becker & Green

Massachusetts High Court To Weigh In on Forfeiture-for-Solicitation Provisions in Era of Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement...

Epstein Becker & Green on

On Monday, March 3, 2025, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) heard argument in Miele v. Foundation Medicine, Inc., regarding whether the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act, G. L. c. 149, § 24L (the...more

Hendershot Cowart P.C.

Timeline: What Happens After Breaking a Non-Compete Agreement in Texas

Hendershot Cowart P.C. on

Responding to a Non-Compete Violation - When an employer discovers a potential non-compete violation, they generally react within 1-4 weeks, though this can be shorter if the violation poses an immediate competitive threat....more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Delaware Supreme Court Broadens Utility of Noncompete Enforcement Tool

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In a recent en banc decision, Delaware’s Supreme Court upheld a key tool available to employers to enforce forfeiture-for-competition provisions against former employees. Delaware’s Chancery Court has shown an increasing...more

Proskauer - Trade Secrets

Seventh Circuit Decision Highlights Distinction Between Traditional Non-Compete and Forfeiture-for-Competition

A recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit allowed an employer to enforce a “forfeiture-for-competition” against a former plant manager. The Court explained that, under Delaware law, forfeiture-for...more

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