Intellectual Property Owners Association to Feature Russell Beck
On Monday, September 19, 2022, Russell Beck will be speaking about noncompete agreements at the Intellectual Property Owners Association’s 2022 Annual Meeting.
According to the IPO, the event, which will be held in Los Angeles, “brings together IP professionals from around the world to discuss strategies, trends, and best practices. More than 25 education sessions will be offered on patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs, AI, trade secrets, and professional development.”
Russell’s presentation is titled “Hold on to Your Trade Secrets: The Winds of Change Are Howling Around Employee Non-Compete Agreements.”
The presentation is described as follows:
There is a growing tension between employee mobility, specifically the enforceability of non-compete and non-disclosure agreements post-employment, and strong trade secret protection, both of which intended to promote innovation and stimulate the US economy.
This session will explore this tension and whether the focus on employee mobility is eroding trade secret protection in light of recent developments such as (1) President Biden’s July 2021 Executive Order directing the Federal Trade Commission to consider issuing rules “to curtail the unfair use of non-compete clauses and other clauses or agreements that may unfairly limit worker mobility,” (2) the Uniform Law Commission’s newly proposed Uniform Restrictive Employment Agreements Act for possible adoption by states, and (3) various state laws and proposed legislation promoting employee mobility. Panelists will also explore steps trade secret owners can take in anticipation of recent and potential legislation favoring employee mobility.
Russell’s presentation is scheduled for Monday, September 19, from 2:45pm-3:45pm PT. A complete schedule of events is available here.
The other panelists for the presentation are:
- Nicholas Clifford, Tucker Ellis LLP
- Robert Isackson, Leason Ellis LLP
- Dawn Mertineit, Seyfarth Shaw
The IPO describes its mission as follows:
Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), established in 1972, is an international trade association representing a “big tent” of diverse companies, law firms, service providers and individuals in all industries and fields of technology that own, or are interested in, intellectual property (IP) rights. IPO membership includes over 125 companies and spans over 30 countries. IPO advocates for effective and affordable IP ownership rights and offers a wide array of services, including supporting member interests relating to legislative and international issues; analyzing current IP issues; providing information and educational services; supporting and advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in IP and innovation; and disseminating information to the public on the importance of IP rights.
The IPO’s member organizations include a diverse array of companies and law firms, including Google, Nike, and Novartis.
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 litigationand 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.