New Jersey may be next up to join the growing number of states that significantly restrict the use of non-competition agreements in employment. As we discussed back in December 2017, a bill proposed in New Jersey at the time, Senate Bill 3518, would “impose significant restrictions and limitations” on the use of restrictive covenants
Non-Compete
New Indiana Law Governs Physician Non-Compete Agreements
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indiana has enacted a new law governing non-compete agreements used with physicians.
Our Practice Group members in Indianapolis authored an article detailing the new law’s requirements. As the article notes, the new law raises multiple unanswered questions.
And, while not as sweeping as other statutes, Indiana now joins…
Virginia Bans Non-Competes for Low(er)-Wage Workers
Is anyone focusing on anything other than the COVID-19 Pandemic? Apparently, the Virginia legislature and governor are undeterred, enacting a series of new laws. Among them, Virginia has banned non-compete agreements for lower wage earners, becoming the most recent state to do so. A summary of the key provisions is included in this article written…
Texas Court Rejects Effort To Dismiss Non-Compete Lawsuit On Free Speech Grounds
Texas courts are increasingly encountering efforts to challenge restrictive covenant agreements on free speech grounds, where the restricted activity includes business-related communications. A recent Texas appellate court decision indicates that this strategy has its limits.
In Hieber v. Percheron Holdings, LLC, No. 14-19-00505-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Nov. 14, 2019), Percheron Holdings, LLC (“Percheron”)…
Senate Committee Holds Hearing On Recently Proposed Federal Non-Compete Bans
On November 14, 2019, the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship held a hearing to examine recently proposed bills that would regulate non-compete agreements at the federal level. Discussion during the hearing indicates that it may have the necessary support to move forward.
Pending Non-Compete Legislation
On October 15, 2019, Senators Chris Murphy…
Court Rejects Delaware Choice of Law Provision in Refusing to Enforce Customer Non-Solicitation Covenant Against California Employee
On August 26, 2019, the Delaware Chancery Court invalidated a California employee’s customer and employee non-solicitation covenant on the grounds that it violated California law. In doing so, the Court rejected the plaintiff company’s attempt to override California law by including a Delaware choice of law provision in the underlying agreement.
Background
We initially reported…
Washington State Legislature Sends Comprehensive Non-Compete Bill To Governor’s Desk
On April 26, 2019, the two chambers of the Washington Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1450 (“HB 1450” or the “Non-Compete Act”), which regulates non-competition agreements with employees and independent contractors, and severely restricts franchisee no-poach agreements as well as policies against moonlighting. Governor Inslee is expected to sign the Act, which would take…
U.S. Senator Reignites Federal Non-Compete Reform Efforts With Bill Aimed At Protecting Low-Wage Employees
Last year, Democrats in the United States Senate and House of Representatives introduced bills — S.2782 and H.R.5631 — banning non-compete agreements in the vast majority of workplaces across the country. Although those bills failed to gain traction, the authors of this Blog anticipated a renewed effort at federal non-compete reform in 2019, with Democrats…
Delaware Court Grapples With Enforcement of Choice of Law Provisions in Restrictive Covenant Agreements
When implementing restrictive covenant agreements in their workforces, companies often grapple with how best to handle the wide variation in the law from one state to the other. One solution is to include a choice of law provision that calls for all agreements to be construed under the laws of a single state. Still, there…
Massachusetts Non-Compete Law Reaches Governor’s Desk
Just before midnight on July 31, 2018, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill regulating the use of non-compete agreements in the Commonwealth. This development is a long time coming, as the Legislature had been attempting for nearly a decade to create a non-compete law.
In an article posted on our website on August 1, 2018, …