On July 1, 2014, Russell Beck testified on Beacon Hill before the Joint 
Economic and Emerging Technology Committee. Russell’s testimony focused on legislation pending in the Massachusetts State Legislature to reform the laws applicable to noncompete agreements in the Commonwealth.
Russell Beck’s testimony was covered by the State House News Service, which explained a proposed compromise in the State House as follows:
[Rep. Lori] Ehrlich, a Marblehead Democrat, presented the committee with a compromise that would set “reasonable conditions” for agreements, including a limit on the duration to six-months after the end of employment with a company.
The proposal would also restrict the use of the agreements to non-exempt employees, as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act, which Ehrlich said would prevent most hourly employees such as camp counselors and pizza parlor employees from having to sign an agreement.
Should a non-compete agreement not fall under the parameters set out in the proposal, a court would have to void the agreement, and could not alter its terms. Russell Beck, a labor attorney working with Ehrlich, said similar laws in Arkansas, Nebraska, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin have led to businesses being more careful when crafting agreements.
Russell Beck’s testimony was also discussed in The National Law Review.
For the latest news on Massachusetts noncompete legislation, read Russell Beck’s updates on Fair Competition Law.
A recent issue of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly features Russell Beck’s analysis of what would happen if noncompete agreements are eliminated in Massachusetts.
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 recently featured Beck Reed Riden LLP’s noncompete agreement experience.
Russell Beck’s work in this area is well recognized; it includes:
- Over sixteen years of working on trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition matters
- Authoring the book Negotiating, Drafting, and Enforcing Noncompetition Agreements and Related Restrictive Covenants (4th ed., MCLE, Inc. 2010), used by other lawyers to help them with their noncompete cases
- Drafting and advising on the current bill pending before 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 750 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 2014 Chambers USA Guide, which explained that “Russell Beck of Beck Reed Riden LLP specializes in noncompete litigation and is a trade secrets expert. He comes highly recommended by his peers for his nationwide practice in this niche. ‘He’s fantastic,’ sources say.”
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