In 2016, the Obama White House invited Russell Beck to join a working group there on noncompete agreements. Following that conversation in Washington, D.C., Russell was asked by a United States Senator to join a small advisory discussion concerning potential federal noncompete legislation.

On October 25, 2016, the White House announced a new initiative to spur competition in the labor market. As part of its new initiative, the White House issued a report entitled, “Non-Compete Reform: A Policymaker’s Guide to State Policies,” relying in part on Beck Reed Riden LLP’s research and analysis of noncompete agreements.

As the White House explains,

According to survey data, one in five U.S. workers is bound by a non-compete agreement, including 14 percent of workers making less than $40,000 per year. A considerable proportion of non-compete agreements signed by both low- and high-wage workers come at the expense of wage growth, entrepreneurship, and broader economic growth. Researchers have found that states that strictly enforce non-compete agreements have 10 percent lower average wages for middle-aged workers than states that do not. Today, the White House is announcing several new steps to reduce the misuse of non-compete agreements.

In support of the White House’s noncompete initiative, it issued a State-by-State Explainer of Non-Compete Laws. Its purpose is “[t]o educate workers, employers, policymakers and advocates . . . about existing state laws and some of the key issues related to non-compete agreement reform.”

The White House’s guide to state laws on noncompete agreements “relies primarily” on the “comprehensive state-by-state” comparison prepared by Beck Reed Riden LLP and a similar study produced by another firm. The White House guide provides a link to Beck Reed Riden LLP’s 50 State Noncompete Chart.

The White House previously cited Beck Reed Riden LLP’s research in a May 2016 report entitled, “Non-Compete Agreements: Analysis of the Usage, Potential Issues, and State Responses.”

In March 2016, the United States Department of the Treasury  issued a report titled “Non-compete Contracts: Economic Effects and Policy Implications,” which also relied in part on Beck Reed Riden LLP’s research on nocompete agreements.

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.

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
  • 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.