On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, Russell Beck and Sarah Tishler will be speaking at Practising Law Institute’s program on noncompete agreements. Russell is the Chairperson of the event.
The program, which will be held in New York City and is also available online, is titled “Fundamentals of Noncompetes 2026.”
The program starts at 1:30 p.m. ET on April 21, 2026. More information and registration is available here.
Speakers will provide a “broad-based, foundational introduction to the core concepts of restrictive covenant law, including the different types of restrictive covenants that are generally enforceable but sometimes not enforceable, the interests they can protect, the rules for their use, and basic drafting and litigating techniques.”
In addition, according to the course description, attendees will learn how to:
- Identify the key issues concerning restrictive covenant law and the various kinds of restrictive covenant agreements
- Understand the basics of trade secrets, goodwill, and other protectable business interests
- Evaluate and update agreements to protect your company’s business interests from departing employees
- Manage through the common issues in litigation concerning noncompetes and other restrictive covenants
The presentation is for any “lawyer or human resources personnel that will be assisting companies or individuals in drafting, evaluating, enforcing, and defending against noncompetes and other restrictive covenants, anyone involved in the hiring of employees, and anyone else responsible for an organization’s internal hiring policies.”
ussell will be giving the opening remarks for the program. Sarah will be speaking on a panel titled “The Essentials of Drafting Noncompete Agreements and Related Restrictive Covenants in 2026.” This panel will discuss the basic components and strategies of litigating matters concerning restrictive covenants. The panelists will provide valuable information to help attendees:
- Know when and under what circumstances employees can be asked to sign a noncompete or other restrictive covenant
- Understand the implications of using noncompetes for employees across state lines, and how to anticipate and plan for further changes
- Explore when and how to use forum selection and choice of law clauses, when they are required, and when they won’t help
- Identify the key issues when drafting restrictions for different level employees to increase the likelihood of enforcement
- Anticipate common drafting traps and how to avoid them
- Examine the interplay between geographic breadth and business description, especially in the digital age of remote and hybrid workplaces
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.
Beck 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.”
Sarah Tishler is a partner at Beck Reed Riden LLP. She is a commercial litigator whose practice focuses on complex business disputes in state and federal courts, including intellectual property, breach of contract, and fraud claims. Her experience also includes regulatory investigations, international arbitration, securities litigation, shareholder litigation, class-action litigation, and pre-transactional advising.
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.