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Restrictive Covenants Breach of Contract Non-Compete Agreements

Troutman Pepper Locke

Restrictive Covenants Unenforceable Where Consideration Forfeited

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In North American Fire Ultimate Holdings, LP v. Alan Doorly, the Delaware Court of Chancery held that the restrictive covenants included in an incentive unit grant agreement were unenforceable when the units received by the...more

Morgan Lewis - Tech & Sourcing

Radius Clauses in Music Performance Contracts

As the summer 2025 concert season continues to ramp up, we want to take the opportunity to explain why your favorite band or artist might only be performing once in your region this summer: a radius clause....more

Lathrop GPM

Massachusetts Federal Court Grants Preliminary Injunction for Noncompete Violations, Denies Injunction for Trademark Infringement

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A federal court in Massachusetts recently granted, in part, a Motion for Preliminary Injunction as to enforcement of franchise agreement noncompete covenants but denied the motion as to claims of trademark infringement,...more

Lewitt Hackman

Franchisee 101: When the Competition Leaks

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A Massachusetts federal court granted a franchisor’s request to enforce the franchise agreement’s post-termination non-compete provision against a terminated franchisee....more

Fox Rothschild LLP

Two business court rulings offer insights on trade secret pleadings, employment agreements, and credibility

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Maven Advantage, Inc. and Square One Storm Restoration, LLC are competing roofing businesses. Maven alleged that two employees (Couch and Daniels) stole Maven’s trade secrets (customer lists) and then quit to work for Square...more

Jenner & Block

Delaware Supreme Court Reaffirms Reluctance to Blue-Pencil Overbroad Restrictive Covenants in Sunder v. Jackson

Jenner & Block on

The Delaware Supreme Court’s decision in Sunder Energy, LLV v. Jackson, No. 455, 2023, 2024 Del. LEXIS 407 (December 10, 2024) reaffirmed the courts’ limited willingness to modify or “blue-pencil” overbroad restrictive...more

Proskauer - Trade Secrets

Georgia Federal Court Denies TRO and Motion to Dismiss in Trade Secrets Case

On March 27, 2025, in Stimlabs LLC v. Griffiths, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ordered a former executive, Sarah Griffiths, to face claims related to her alleged theft of Stimlab’s trade secrets...more

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

Employee pirates can plunder a business. Arrrgh ye ready?

Piracy is defined as robbery by ship- or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, with a goal of stealing cargo or other valuables. During the Golden Age of Piracy, from the 1680s to the 1720s, infamous...more

Epstein Becker & Green

Massachusetts High Court To Weigh In on Forfeiture-for-Solicitation Provisions in Era of Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement...

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On Monday, March 3, 2025, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) heard argument in Miele v. Foundation Medicine, Inc., regarding whether the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act, G. L. c. 149, § 24L (the...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Seventh Circuit Rules Forfeiture-for-Competition Clauses Under Delaware Law Enforceable and Not Subject to Reasonableness Review

In 2021, LKQ Corporation (LKQ) filed suit against Robert Rutledge, its former plant manager, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. LKQ alleged that Rutledge’s working for a competitor within nine...more

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

Court Ruling in Ohio Highlights Evolving Non-Compete and Non-Solicit Landscape

As the Federal Trade Commission’s Non-Compete Rule is appealed through the federal courts, a ruling from a court in Cleveland, Ohio, exemplifies how certain courts have recently approached non-compete and non-solicitation...more

WilmerHale

Beating the Odds: First Circuit Doubles Down on Massachusetts Decision Enforcing Noncompete Against Sports Betting Executive Newly...

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Against a growing trend of legislation and broader efforts seeking to limit or eliminate post-employment noncompetition restrictions, recent Massachusetts and First Circuit decisions in a dispute between DraftKings and one of...more

Farrell Fritz, P.C.

Unpacking the (Un)Reasonableness of Non-Compete Provisions

Farrell Fritz, P.C. on

New York law generally does not favor non-compete agreements, viewing them as unreasonable restraint of trade. As a result, New York courts apply a rigorous standard when deciding whether to enforce these restrictive...more

Fox Rothschild LLP

Georgia Court Finds Hooter’s Franchise Non-Compete Unreasonable in Geographic Scope

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A district court in Georgia recently granted a Motion for Preliminary Injunction filed by HOA Franchising, LLC’s, the franchisor of the Hooters restaurant chain (“Hooters”), against one of its former restaurant franchisees,...more

Lewitt Hackman

Franchisor 101: Getting Away With Tax (Franchisor) Evasion

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A Pennsylvania federal court refused to enforce non-competition and non-solicitation covenants in a franchise agreement of a nationwide tax preparation service franchisor. The court dismissed the franchisor’s request for...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Delaware Supreme Court Upholds Forfeiture-for-Competition Provision in Limited Partnership Agreement

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

Stemming a tide of Delaware decisions closely scrutinizing and refusing to enforce non-compete agreements, Delaware’s Supreme Court held that forfeiture-for-competition provisions arising out of a Delaware limited partnership...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Finds Non-Compete Unenforceable by Subsidiaries Unless Identified in Agreement

Morris James LLP on

Frontline Techs. Parent, LLC v. Murphy, C.A. No. 2023-0546-LWW (Del. Ch. Aug. 23, 2023) - This non-compete decision reminds drafters to pay careful attention to scope and definitions, in particular language covering the...more

Seward & Kissel LLP

Employment Litigation Roundup: November 2023

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Ex-employee’s golf outing with customer does not violate non-solicit - An auto parts manufacturer in Michigan sought a preliminary injunction against a former sales employee for violating his restrictive covenants,...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

North Carolina Court of Appeals Limits Grounds for Review of Noncompete Injunction Denial

When litigating employment non-competition covenants, issuance by the court of a preliminary injunction may be more important than the ultimate outcome of the litigation. Depending on the circumstances, the injunction can...more

Holland & Knight LLP

A Cautionary Tale from arrivia Inc. v. Rowley

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Enforceability of releases for unknown claims at the time of settlement is a well-established legal principle, as highlighted in the recent case, arrivia Inc. v. Rowley, No. CV-23-01039-PHX-DLR, 2023 WL 7386384 (D. Ariz. Nov....more

Epstein Becker & Green

Preemption Questions Continue as FTC and NLRB Fight Restrictive Covenants

Epstein Becker & Green on

As federal administrative agencies wade further into rulemaking and adjudicative efforts to outlaw noncompetes and restrictive covenants, defendants are beginning to raise preemption arguments in response to state court...more

Seward & Kissel LLP

Employment Litigation Roundup: September 2023

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September 2023: Enjoining competitive employment, advisor mobility, reverse discrimination, the low bar for retaliation, and litigating “Cause” Connecticut Court Issues Temporary Restraining Order Enforcing Noncompete...more

Fisher Phillips

Former Employees Who Couldn’t Wait to Leave Their Florida Employer Before Illegally Competing Ordered to Pay Heavy Price

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A Florida Circuit Court judge sternly rebuked two former employees of a private South Florida provider of Autism treatment services who began competing illegally with a new employer – while still employed with their old...more

WilmerHale

When Is a Bait-and-Switch Not a Bait-and-Switch? When Key Personnel Ignore Their Non-Compete Agreements

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Can a disappointed offeror successfully challenge an award by demonstrating that it had signed non-compete agreements with the awardee’s proposed key personnel? Not necessarily. ...more

Lewitt Hackman

Franchisor 101: Court Hits Brakes on Former Franchisees

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An Ohio appellate court upheld the state trial court’s decision to grant a permanent injunction against two former franchisees of an auto body shop franchise working for a competitor in violation of the franchise agreement’s...more

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