Russell Beck will be a panelist at the 6th Annual Symposium on Employee Non-Compete Agreements, Confidential Information, and the Uniform Trade Secrets Act in Boston, Massachusetts.

BBARussell BeckThe Boston Bar Association is sponsoring the Symposium, which will be held on Tuesday, September 16, 2014, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 16 Beacon Street in Boston. Registration information is here.

The Symposium will feature discussion and debate about the legal landscape of noncompete agreements, protection of trade secrets, and job creation in Massachusetts.

The Boston Bar Association describes the event as follows:

It has been argued that employee non-compete agreements (NCA’s), in addition to being unfair, have hurt innovation and enterprise creation in Massachusetts.  Advocates for the status quo insist that the NCA’s are strictly scrutinized and necessary for the protection of confidential information of employers.

The 188th General Court Senate overwhelmingly approved an economic development bill that included both a BBA-tweaked version of the 48-states-adopted Uniform Trade Secrets Act and a compromise mechanism to discourage overreaching employee NCA’s.  These provisions were “held in conference.”

In the BBA’s sixth summer symposium on these issues, legislators, administrators and lawyers advocating or advising on reform will provide an overview of recent developments and issues going forward. Arguments will be made for the status quo.  There will be opportunity for attendee questions and presentation of views.

In addition to Russell Beck, the panel includes the following speakers:

  • State Senator William N. Brownsberger
  • State Representative Lori Ehrlich
  • Jennifer Lawrence, Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
  • Andrew P. Botti, McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, Professional Association
  • C.A. Webb, New England Venture Capital Association
  • Michael L. Rosen, Foely Hoag LLP
  • Stephen Y. Chow, Burns & Levinson LLP

Beck Reed Riden LLPis 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.”

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