
Our Practice
Trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition cases require quick and decisive action. Beck Reed Riden LLP handles these cases every day and is ready to protect its clients on a moment’s notice. We serve our clients not only in Massachusetts, but as national noncompete and trade secrets litigation counsel.
Beck Reed Riden LLP approaches trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition issues with a broad background and flexible approach. We quickly find custom-fit, appropriate solutions for the complex relationships that are inherent in these types of disputes.
Our ability to quickly get to the critical issues and develop a custom approach is the result of our many years of experience coupled with our dedication to the continuous study of the legal issues behind the disputes: how trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition laws affect our clients and how they shape the business and intellectual property climate. Because of this dedication, we have a better understanding of how to address an issue before we get started working on it.
Our clients have ranged from some of the largest financial, retail, and technology companies in the Northeast to individuals and small, local companies. Whether your rights have been infringed, or you have been accused of breaching your duties, Beck Reed Riden LLP can help you in virtually any industry.
Our nationwide services in this practice area are wide ranging and include:
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Handling large-scale litigation over the theft of trade secrets
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Negotiating resolutions of noncompete disputes before any lawsuit is ever filed
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Drafting restrictive covenants, including for companies requiring a national noncompete and trade secrets protection strategy
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Performing trade secret audits and establishing comprehensive trade secret protection programs
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Advising companies about strategies for recovering stolen trade secrets
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Addressing breaches of noncompete agreements and fiduciary duties
- Responding to violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
- Consulting with individuals and companies accused of misappropriating trade secrets or breaching their noncompete agreements or fiduciary duties
Our collective dedication and experience allows us to deconstruct and confront trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition issues for clients across all sectors of the economy. Moreover, our flexibility allows us to address problems of all dimensions efficiently and without delay.
Our Team Makes Us Unique
Beck 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.
Russell Beck’s work in this area is well recognized and includes:
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Over twenty five years of working on trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition matters
- The only private practice lawyer to have the privilege to participate in the White House’s 2016 working group discussions that led to the development by the White House of a Call to Action on noncompetes
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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 cases
- Authoring the book Trade Secrets Law for the Massachusetts Practitioner (1st ed. MCLE 2019), covering trade secrets nationally, with a focus on Massachusetts law.
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Drafting and advising several legislators on many of the bills that became the new Massachusetts noncompete law
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Revising and advising several legislators on the bill that became the new Massachusetts trade secrets law
- Preparing the firm’s widely-used 50 State Noncompete Survey (the first of its kind and updated regularly since 2010), relied upon by the United States Treasury Department, the Obama Administration, many academic studies on noncompetes, and many others
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Teaching Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants at Boston University School of Law (a course he created for the school)
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Founding and administering the award-winning blog, Fair Competition Law
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Establishing and administering the Noncompete Lawyers and Trade Secret Protection groups on LinkedIn, with over 1500 members around the world
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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 Chambers USA Guide, which noted that Russell is an “[e]xcellent attorney,” a “terrific noncompete specialist,” and “a skilled litigator with experience representing clients ranging from individuals to large corporations at both trial and appellate levels.”
Robert M. Shea has advised and counseled employers, executives, professionals and entrepreneurs on labor and employment law matters for more than thirty years. His practice includes counseling clients on restrictive covenant matters. This work also includes drafting and negotiating employment agreements, noncompete, nonsolicitation and nondisclosure agreements.
Nicole Daly is an experienced employment attorney. In addition to her general employment experience, Nicole regularly counsels clients about restrictive covenants and litigates noncompete and trade secrets disputes.
Stephen Riden has years of experience representing clients involved in noncompete and trade secret issues. He has represented companies and individuals in matters involving allegations of breached noncompete agreements, and frequently advises companies considering or defending litigation over claims of improper use of trade secrets. Stephen’s guide for corporations called “Taking your non-compete agreement from good to great,” appeared in the May 2011 issue of New England In-House.
Erika Hahn has over 20 years of experience as a complex commercial litigation paralegal, with extensive experience in restrictive covenants and trade secrets disputes.
Beck Reed Riden LLP has the passion, commitment, and experience necessary to guide our clients through their legal challenges. We’re ready to help.