Russell-Beck

(617) 500-8670

rbeck@beckreed.com

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Russell Beck is a business, trade secrets, and employee mobility litigator, nationally recognized for his trade secrets and restrictive covenant experience.

Called “one of the foremost trade secret litigators in the country,” Russell was invited to the White House to develop guidelines for the proper use of noncompetes and has been cited as an expert on trade secrets and noncompetes by the federal government and national and international media outlets.

Russell has over 35 years of experience as a complex business, trade secrets, and restrictive covenant litigator, representing clients in state and federal court trials, arbitrations, and mediations throughout the country, from pre-litigation through trial and appeal. His clients range from Fortune 500 companies to individuals.

In addition to his litigation practice, Russell helps clients with the preparation of noncompetition agreements, nondisclosure agreements, no-raid agreements, nonsolicitation agreements, and other restrictive covenants; the development of comprehensive trade secret protection programs; trade secret protection training; and strategizing the on-boarding and off-boarding of employees subject to restrictive covenants who are joining a client from a competitor or leaving a client to join a competitor.

His work spans a broad range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, biomedical, life sciences, software, computer-related technology, manufacturing, wholesale distribution, retail, B2B sales and distribution, marketing, hospitality and events, insurance, financial services, legal services, expert services, consulting, staffing, and many others.

A leading authority on the law of trade secrets, noncompetes, and employee mobility, Russell literally wrote the law, wrote the book, and teaches the course on noncompete law in Massachusetts. He also revised the Massachusetts Uniform Trade Secrets Act. He wrote the books Trade Secrets Law for the Massachusetts Practitioner (1st ed. MCLE 2019) and Negotiating, Drafting, and Enforcing Noncompetition Agreements and Related Restrictive Covenants (6th ed., MCLE, Inc. 2021), teaches the course Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants at Boston University School of Law, and co-hosts a podcast on trade secrets and restrictive covenants called Fairly Competing. He also administers the award-winning blog, FairCompetitionLaw.com.

Russell has prepared several widely used resources:

Russell was the only private practice lawyer invited to the White House to develop guidelines for the proper use of noncompetes (resulting in the development by the White House of a Call to Action on noncompetes), has been cited as an expert on trade secrets and noncompetes by Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, the White House, the United States Treasury Department, National Public Radio, PBS, the BBC World News Service, Le Monde, and many others, and has been interviewed on Bloomberg Law’s UnCommon Law podcast, PBS NewshourOn Point (NPR/WBUR), Weekend Edition (NPR), and NECN News, and was featured in the cover story of Super Lawyers New England Magazine.

Called “one of the foremost trade secret litigators in the country,” Russell was named a Lawyer of the Year in various categories for 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026, and 2027 by Best Lawyers®. Selected to Super Lawyer’s® Top 10 Lawyers in Massachusetts every year since 2020  — ranked 3rd in Massachusetts since 2023 — Russell has been ranked as one of Super Lawyers’ Top 100 Lawyers in Massachusetts every year since 2011, named a Lawyer of the Year for 2018 by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, featured in the cover story of Super Lawyers New England Magazine, and is included in World IP Review, and Chambers and Partners, which states, “He is widely considered ‘an expert in his field.’” 

And, he has also been recognized as a Hall of Fame lawyer by The Legal 500 United States, helping Beck Reed Riden to be the only small firm selected for inclusion in the Trade Secrets rankings. Some of the testimonials provide: “Russell Beck is one of the foremost trade secret litigators in the country,” Russell’s approach to litigation also differentiates him from competitors. Although his firm is small, he can litigate with anyone and can do so in a cost-effective manner. His results for his clients speak for themselves.

Immediately prior to founding Beck Reed Riden LLP, Russell was a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP and chair of its Trade Secret/Noncompete Practice. He previously was a partner and associate at Epstein Becker & Green, PC, and an associate at Reynolds Rappaport & Kaplan (on Martha’s Vineyard) and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett (in New York City). Russell also created and teaches Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants at Boston University School of Law. (Boston University’s Intellectual Property program, of which Russell’s course is a part, has been ranked in the top 10 in the country by U.S. News and World Reports.)

Russell is a past President of the Boston Bar Foundation, former Boston Bar Association Council member, inaugural member of the the Steering Committee for The Sedona Conference (a think tank) Working Group on Trade Secrets, and is currently serving of the board of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc.

Russell is a trained mediator.

In addition to the countless mediations he has handled for his clients over the course of more than 30 years, Russell serves as a mediator on commercial matters, including disputes involving trade secrets, noncompetes and other restrictive covenants, and trademarks, as well as other business disputes.

Russell authored the chapter, ADR for CEOs – What General Counsel Need to Know About Drafting ADR or Mediation Provisions in Contracts, for the book, ADR Law Insights – Top ADR Lawyers Share What They Knew Best (ExecSense, Inc. 2012).

Russell is a Fellow in the Boston Bar Foundation’s Society of Fellows, immediate past president of the Boston Bar Foundation, and current MCLE board member.

In addition, Russell has previously served in the following roles:

  • Member of the Boston Bar Foundation’s Board of Trustees and Executive Committee
  • Founding Steering Committee Member of the Sedona Conference’s Trade Secrets Working Group
  • Chair and vice chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Trade Secrets Committee
  • Vice chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Trade Secrets Litigation Subcommittee (of the Trade Secrets Committee)
  • Chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Legislation Subcommittee (of the Trade Secrets Committee)
  • Co-chair of the Boston Patent Law Association’s Trade Secret Committee
  • Co-chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section
  • Member of the Boston Bar Association Council and Executive Committee
  • Co-chair of the Boston Bar Association Strategic Planning Committee
  • Co-chair of the Boston Bar Association Annual Meeting Committee
  • Member and co-chair of the Boston Bar Foundation John & Abigail Adams Benefit steering committee
  • Member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Legislation Committee
  • Secretary of the Committee on Legal Assistance at the Association of the Bar of the City of New York
  • Town of Marblehead Planning Board member
  • Ethics committee member of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
  • Volunteer alumni interviewer for the Tufts University admissions program
  • Chair and co-chair of Foley & Lardner’s Boston office pro bono committee and a member of the national pro bono committee.

In addition to administering the award-winning Fair Competition Law blog, Russell writes, lectures, and is quoted or cited in connection with various intellectual property and other legal issues, including enforcement and defense of noncompete agreements, protection of trade secrets, trademark disputes, copyright issues, arbitration, and mediation. Recent representative presentations and publications include:

Business Litigation

Trade Secrets Litigation & Counseling 

Noncompete Litigation & Counseling 

Unfair Competition Litigation & Counseling

Employee Mobility Litigation & Counseling

Lawyer Mobility Litigation & Counseling

Trademark Litigation

Copyright Litigation

Arbitration

Mediation

Appeals

J.D., Boston University School of Law  (magna cum laude, 1989)

B.S., Tufts University (computer science, 1986)

Chambers USA (for trade secrets and noncompetes)

Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year (in various categories) since 2022

Lawyer of the Year (2018) (awarded 2019 by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly)

The Legal 500, Leading Lawyer (trade secrets)

Top 10 Lawyers in Massachusetts, Super Lawyers® (all years since 2020)

Top 100 Lawyers in Massachusetts, Super Lawyers® (2011-present)

Massachusetts Super Lawyers® (an honor received by only 5% of Massachusetts attorneys, 2005-present)

Martindale Hubble, AV rated (highest possible rating)

World IP Review (trade secrets)

Law Review, Boston University School of Law

Carl H. Hitchner Mentor of the Year Award

Massachusetts

New York

U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the District of Wisconsin

Boston Bar Association

American Intellectual Property Law Association