Russell Beck will be serving as the chairperson of Practising Law Institute’s full-day program on noncompete agreements.

The program, which will be held in New York City, is titled “Noncompetes and Restrictive Covenants 2022: What Every Lawyer, Human Resources Professional, and Key Strategic Decisionmaker Should Know.”

The conference starts at 9 a.m. ET on September 29, 2022. Russell will be giving the opening remarks. More information and registration is available here.

This conference is “a unique full-day program, offering an in-depth look at noncompete laws nationally.”

Throughout the day, experts in the field of employee restrictive covenant agreements will be giving informative presentations. The program is described as follows:

Noncompete agreements and similar restrictive covenants help companies protect their trade secrets, customer relationships, and other recognized legitimate business interests. But, noncompete laws vary state by state, ranging from bans in California, Oklahoma, and North Dakota, to strong, pro-enforcement policies in Florida. And, while public opinion, evolving state legislation, emerging federal regulation, and trends in judicial review and enforcement are moving toward greater restrictions on the use of these agreements, the risks posed by employees who are not subject to restrictive covenants is increasing.

Understanding the changing landscape and its complications and implications is nothing short of critical – particularly for companies engaged in business across state lines.

Bringing together experts and thought leaders from around the country, the program starts with a level-setting of basic noncompete law, and then delves into nuanced and advanced issues from the perspectives of the employee, the former employer, and the new employer.

In addition, according to the course description, attendees will:

  • Get the latest legislative developments regarding noncompete agreements and best practices from practitioners
  • Learn what the protectable business interest are and how to protect them, particularly with a remote workforce and during employee departures and on-boarding
  • Discover how to use state of the art computer forensics to bolster your case for enforcement, and what it means for the defense
  • Find out advanced practices for seeking and defending against temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and related preliminary orders
  • Gain insight into the practical aspects of enforcing and defending against noncompetes
  • Understand the key issues and what to do when not just one key employee leaves, but when there is a group lift-out
  • Learn how to spot and avoid the ethical traps common in restrictive covenant matters

The presentation is for any “in-house counsel, business and trade secrets litigation counsel, employment lawyers, human resources professionals, and other allied key strategic personnel.”

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.