On June 6, 2024, Washington’s non-compete statute will receive substantial amendments affecting employers with workers in the state. Employers should review their employment agreements and personnel onboarding practices to...more
On April 23, 2024, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) voted 3-to-2 along party lines to approve a final rule (Rule) that prevents all for-profit employers nationwide from using non-compete agreements for any worker (whether...more
California law famously bans employee noncompetition agreements, under a statute enacted in 1872. As of January 1, 2024, new amendments to this age-old statute provide clarity about what is—and is not—enforceable....more
As a reminder to companies with independent contractors performing work in Seattle, the city's Independent Contractor Protections Ordinance, SMC 14.34, which expands protections for independent contractors, went into effect...more
Companies with employees or independent contractors who work or reside in Washington State should take heed that Washington's Silenced No More Act (the act) goes into effect on June 9, 2022. The act places substantial limits...more
On January 11, 2021, the mayor of the District of Columbia signed D.C. Act 25-563, the Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2020 (the Act), which was then submitted to Congress for approval in accordance with the...more
Two recent cases have found that employee non-solicitation agreements, at least in the form many companies currently use, are unlawful in California. In AMN Healthcare, Inc. v. Aya Healthcare Services, Inc., 28 Cal. App. 5th...more
Massachusetts has joined a growing list of states, including Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Oregon, and Utah, among others, with statutes placing limits on the permissible terms and scope of agreements prohibiting employees from...more
The White House has entered the fray regarding employer use of non-compete agreements. While the Obama administration's recently issued "State Call to Action on Non-Compete Agreements" does not change current law applicable...more
On May 11, 2016, we reported in a WSGR Alert that under the new Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA), employers seeking exemplary damages or attorneys' fees in a trade secrets misappropriation action must provide employees with...more