Non-Compete Compliance in 2025: State Trends and Employer Strategies
Multijurisdictional Employers, P2: 2025 State-by-State Updates on Non-Compete/Non-Solicitation Agts
Legal Shifts in 2025 Put Employer Non-Compete Strategies at Risk - Employment Law This Week® - Spilling Secrets Podcast
Trade Secrets on Trial: Strategic Decisions for the Courtroom - Employment Law This Week® - Spilling Secrets Podcast
Update on the State of Non-compete Restrictions (LaborSpeak)
Work This Way: A Labor & Employment Law Podcast - Episode 42: Non-Compete Agreements with Mitchell Greggs of Maynard Nexsen
#WorkforceWednesday®: Trade Secret Litigation - Lessons from High-Stakes Group Exits - Spilling Secrets Podcast - Employment Law This Week®
Navigating Restrictive Covenants in Private Equity — PE Pathways Podcast
#WorkforceWednesday®: 2024’s Biggest Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Developments - Spilling Secrets Podcast - Employment Law This Week®
#WorkforceWednesday®: Beyond Non-Competes - IP and Trade Secret Assessment Strategies for Employers - Spilling Secrets Podcast - Employment Law This Week®
Labor Law Insider - Non-Competes, Including “Pay-or-Stay” Provisions, Under Continued Assault
#WorkforceWednesday®: Wizarding and the World of Trade Secrets - Spilling Secrets Podcast - Employment Law This Week®
#WorkforceWednesday®: After the Block - What’s Next for Employers and Non-Competes? - Spilling Secrets Podcast - Employment Law This Week®
Exploring Employment Law Across Borders: Italy vs. US With White Lotus — Hiring to Firing Podcast
Employment Law Now VIII-150 - The FTC Noncompete Rule is Dead: What Now?
California Employment News: Court Ruling Halts FTC’s Non-Compete Ban – Implications for Employers
#WorkforceWednesday®: What the FTC Non-Compete Ban Block Means for Employers - Employment Law This Week®
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - Employment Law Edition: The Latest on Non-Competes and Independent Contractors
Balch’s Decision Dive: Texas Trial Court Struck Down the FTC’s Noncompete Rule
Employment Law Now VIII-146 - Latest Update on FTC Non-Compete Ban Plus 3 Summer Reminders for Employers
Franchise Agreements are typically drafted by the franchisor and presented on a “take it or leave it” basis. These contracts often impose strict controls over how you operate your business — from approved vendors and...more
A federal court recently granted in part and denied in part a franchisor’s motion to enjoin the post-termination activities of its former franchisees and two related entities. Rooterman, LLC is a plumbing services franchisor....more
A federal court in Arizona recently dismissed a franchisee’s counterclaims for breach of contract, defamation, and injunctive relief against its former franchisor. LeTip World Franchise LLC v. Long Island Soc. Media Grp. LLC,...more
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
There were a number of important and potentially impactful developments in 2024 that we predict will continuing developing and trending in 2025. Some of these topics are also discussed in other articles in this annual update....more
In May of last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sought to ban non-compete agreements in most employment contracts. Franchise agreements were an exception. However, before the rule could take effect in September, a...more
Last year saw non-compete agreements come under repeated scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission. On April 23, 2024, the FTC issued a final rule banning non-compete agreements in most employment contracts....more
On January 16, 2025, in the waning hours of the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) jointly released their “Antitrust Guidelines for Business Activities Affecting...more
A federal court in Michigan has granted a franchisor’s motion for preliminary injunction against former franchisees for violating the franchise agreements’ post-termination noncompete provisions. 1-800 Water Damage Int’l LLC...more
A federal court in New Jersey recently granted a franchisor’s motion for a preliminary injunction, enjoining the former franchisee from using the franchisor’s marks and violating the franchise agreement’s noncompete clause,...more
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted to issue a Non-Compete Clause Rule that would ban most non-compete clauses in agreements between businesses and their “workers.” The final rule will take effect 120...more
On April 23, 2034, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final rule intended to ban the use and enforcement of most non-compete clauses signed by workers. The new rule is not in effect yet. It will become...more
Reflecting a shifting national landscape on restrictive covenants, the Minnesota Legislature recently adopted legislation that prohibits franchisors from placing certain nonsolicitation and no-poach restrictions in franchise...more
In June 2021, the Supreme Court reaffirmed in NCAA v. Alston that antitrust claims under Section 1 of the Sherman Act “presumptively” call for rule-of-reason analysis and that only the rare case merits “quick look” or per se...more
Franchisors and franchisees in California have long conducted themselves based on precedent that voids post-termination covenants against competition in a franchise agreement in California. Recently, a franchisor’s ability to...more
Yesterday, Washington’s Governor, Jay Inslee signed HB1450 [PDF] which targets the use of restrictive covenants in the State of Washington (the “Non-Compete Act”). The signing of the Non-Compete Act follows the recent...more
In order to avoid a lawsuit by the Washington State Attorney General, seven fast-food chains with store locations nationwide agreed to no longer enforce “no-poach/no-hire” provisions in their franchise agreements and to...more
We reported last week that the attorneys generals of ten states are investigating several fast food franchisors for their use of so-called “no poach” provisions in their franchise agreements. ...more
In Devore v. H&R Block, the franchisor H&R Block was found to have lawfully terminated a franchisee for violating an in-term non-compete covenant, because the franchisee permitted its office manager and prior operator of the...more
Many franchise agreements contain a provision that restricts a franchisee from hiring or soliciting the employees of the franchisor or other franchisees. A class action lawsuit that was recently filed in the Eastern District...more
In a meaty decision involving the intersection of restrictive covenant and franchise law, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio recently denied a request by D.P. Dough Franchising, LLC (“D.P....more
A restaurant franchisor, World of Beer Franchising ("WOB"), recently lost an appeal to enforce a post-termination restriction against a franchisee launching a competing business. Both the trial and appellate court ruled...more
This Thanksgiving, Trade Secrets Watch is serving a delicious tale about protecting trade secrets in a franchising relationship. In 1994, Quizno’s entered into a franchise agreement with Robert Kampendahl, an...more
Timely Topics - A non-compete clause, covenant not to compete or restrictive covenant is a contract provision under which one party agrees not to enter into or start a similar profession, trade or business in competition...more