On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, Russell Beck and Nicole Corvini Daly will be speaking at Practising Law Institute’s program on noncompete agreements.

The program, which will be held online, is titled “NLRB General Counsel Says Noncompetes Violate the NLRA: What Your Company and Clients Need to Know and Do Now.”

The program starts at 3 p.m. ET on July 11, 2023. More information and registration is available here.

The program will address the recent memorandum issued by the General Counsel of National Labor Relations Board asserting that most noncompete agreements violate the National Labor Relations Act. The program is described as follows:

Did one person at the National Labor Relations Board just change 200 years of state noncompete law? Sort of.

For over 200 years, noncompetition agreements have been governed by state law. Forty-seven states and Washington, D.C. permit the use of reasonable noncompetes. But on May 30, 2023, the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board issued a memorandum proclaiming that most noncompetes violate the National Labor Relations Act. And, it is not just those agreements; other agreements – like no-recruit covenants – are in the crosshairs too.

This program will provide an understanding of the General Counsel’s position, what will likely happen, and how to protect your company and your clients in the face of it.

During this discussion registrants will:

    • Learn what the General Counsel’s memo says and what it means (15 minutes)
    • Understand how the General Counsel’s perspective lines up with recent state and federal efforts to limit noncompetes (10 minutes)
    • Gain an understanding of the legal implications for companies using noncompetes (10 minutes)
    • Find out what will happen next (10 minutes)
    • Discover the steps to take now to protect your client’s business interests in the event noncompetes are curtailed for certain groups of workers (15 minutes)

The program is tailored for lawyers and human resources personnel who work with companies or individuals in evaluating, enforcing, and defending against noncompetes and other restrictive covenants, as well as anyone involved in the hiring of employees, and anyone else responsible for an organization’s internal hiring policies or lobbying on related issues.

For up-to-the-minute analysis of legal issues concerning noncompete agreements in Massachusetts and across the United States, read Russell Beck’s blog, Fair Competition Law.

eck Reed Riden LLP is among the leading authorities in trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition law, and our experience handling these matters is backed by our extensive employment law and business litigation experience. Our hand-picked team combines attorneys with complementary expertise and practical experience.

The Wall Street Journal featured Beck Reed Riden LLP’s noncompete agreement experience. In 2016, the White House issued a report entitled, “Non-Compete Agreements: Analysis of the Usage, Potential Issues, and State Responses,” relying in part on Beck Reed Riden LLP’s research and analysis, including its 50 State Noncompete Survey.

Russell Beck’s work in this area is well recognized, and includes:

  • Over thirty years of experience working on trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition matters
  • Assisting the Obama White House as part of a small working group to develop President Obama’s Noncompete Call to Action
  • Authoring the book Negotiating, Drafting, and Enforcing Noncompetition Agreements and Related Restrictive Covenants (6th ed., MCLE, Inc. 2021), used by other lawyers to help them with their noncompete matters
  • Authoring the book Trade Secrets Law for the Massachusetts Practitioner (1st ed. MCLE 2019), covering trade secrets nationally, with a focus on Massachusetts law
  • Drafting and advising on legislation for the Massachusetts Legislature to define, codify, and improve noncompetition law
  • Teaching Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants at Boston University School of Law
  • Founding and administering the award-winning blog, Fair Competition Law
  • Establishing and administering the Noncompete Lawyers and Trade Secret Protection groups on LinkedIn, with over 1,660 and 870 members, respectively, around the world
  • Founded and chaired the Trade Secret / Noncompete Practice for an AmLaw 100 firm

In addition, Russell was honored for his work in this area of law in the 2020 Chambers USA Guide, which stated that Russell Beck is “an expert in the field of trade secret and restrictive covenant law,” and is also noted for his “ability to adjust and come up with successful solutions.” Chambers noted that Russell “basically wrote the new Massachusetts statute on noncompetes” and that “he’s an expert in employee mobility and nonrestrictive covenants.”

Beck Reed Riden LLP is Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment.

We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legal and business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.