On May 29, 2020, Russell Beck will give a presentation titled “MA Noncompetes More Than a Year Later: The 60-Minute Lawyer.” The presentation will be livestreamed at noon this Friday by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. 

Registration information and other details about this MCLE program are available here.

As described by the program notes:

It has been over a year since the “new” Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act took effect, and it has already had some very tangible consequences. Several aspects of the law continue, however, to create significant uncertainty. Hear the latest thinking on how to navigate those uncertainties and best advise your clients.

What have the effects been? What updates to the law may be on the horizon?

What practical advice can you give to clients concerning interpreting the laws?

The other speaker for the presentation is Katherine E. Perrelli, Esq., of Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

Russell and Kate Perrelli will cover several key topics concerning the 2018 Massachusetts Noncompete Law, including following items:

  • Legislative Process (how we got here)
  • Scope of the Statute (what/how it covers and what/who it doesn’t cover)
  • The Basic Standards (reasonableness in time, space, scope) and the Presumptions
  • Consideration
  • Fairness Aspects of the Law (advance notice, right to counsel)
  • Reformation Approach Retained
  • Signature Requirement
  • Venue/ Choice of Law
  • Springing Noncompetes
  • Areas of Confusion (and How to Advise Clients)
  • Consideration
  • Massachusetts Pending Amendments
  • Potential Impact of Federal Legislation

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 twenty five years of 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 (5th ed., MCLE, Inc. 2015), 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 administrating the award-winning blog, Fair Competition Law
  • Establishing and administrating the Noncompete Lawyers and Trade Secret Protection groups on LinkedIn, with over 1,600 members 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 2019 Chambers USA Guide, which stated that Russell Beck is a “terrific” attorney, who “is an excellent choice of counsel regarding noncompete agreements and the resolution of restrictive covenant disputes.” 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.