Tag Archives: Fair Competition Law

A recent issue of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly features Russell Beck in an article titled “Boston attorney’s blog hosts stay-at-home survival guide.”

The article covers a recent series of blog posts penned by Russell, titled “Stuck at Home Doesn’t Have to Mean Bored at Home.” The article was written by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly reporter Kris Olson.

In the article, Russell Beck discusses the topical diversions he has been writing about in his blog, Fair Competition Law. Since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, Russell has written a series of posts containing helpful suggestions for staying engaged and entertained while staying at home.

The article discusses Russell’s work as follows:

Typically, one would visit the Fair Competition Law blog to read Boston attorney Russell Beck’s insights on recent developments in noncompete or trade secret litigation.

But, of course, these are not typical times.

So, on March 21, Beck repurposed his blog to host a post titled, “Stuck at Home Doesn’t Have to Mean Bored at Home.” The post contains a compendium of dozens of links, some suggested by friends and family, pointing to online resources to pass the time while social distancing.

“After about one week of lockdown, it seemed so surreal at the time,” Beck says. “I was having non-stop conversations, where it seemed like it was the end of the world as we know it.”

As he thought about what might be helpful, he decided the blog could be a force for “maintaining some semblance of normalcy.”

The positive reaction to the initial post led to a second one on April 13 and then, a few days later, a third. The posts have been passed around on LinkedIn and Facebook, reaching new audiences.

“It seems people are at least finding it valuable enough to look at it, share it, and ‘like’ it,” Beck says

Russell’s blog typically provides up-to-the-minute analysis of legal issues concerning noncompete agreements in Massachusetts and across the United States.

As described by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Russell’s “Stuck at Home” series of articles cover a wide array of topics:

Beck’s links are separated by category, and he happily shares some of his personal favorites.

***

Under “Cooking, Cookies, and Other Food Options,” Beck says the banana bread recipe he has shared is “pretty amazing,” and in terms of procuring the requisite bananas, Beck has a link to what he says is a helpful Boston Magazine post on “innovative ways to buy fresh produce and groceries.”

***

Within the “Exercise” category, Beck makes room to promote one of his firm’s own, litigation paralegal Paula Astl, who also owns and operates a business offering a personal training program she created, called “The Fix.”

Beck says Astl is “in the best shape of anybody I’ve ever known,” and suggests that if anyone can whip one’s suddenly sedentary body into shape, it would be her.

The article concludes with a reflection by Russell about how the coronavirus shut down has affected Beck Reed Riden LLP:

As for his professional life, Beck says that his office had been a “very collaborative environment,” where open doors and impromptu brainstorming had been the norm, prior to the coronavirus. With a bit of planning, he and his colleagues have salvaged at least some of that spirit.

“But I miss the ability to walk down the hall,” he says.

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.