Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed Senate Bill 170 into law on April 13, 2026, introducing significant new restrictions on noncompete agreements that apply to all Virginia employees – not just low-wage workers. Employers should review and update their agreements and workplace postings ahead of the July 1, 2026, effective date.
Continue Reading Virginia Governor Signs Senate Bill 170, Targeting Noncompete Agreements

In the biennial session that ended on June 2, the Texas Legislature passed a bill (SB 1318) limiting the terms of noncompete agreements applicable to health care professionals such as physicians, dentists, and mid-level practitioners. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the legislation on June 20.
Continue Reading New Texas Law Limits Health Care Provider Noncompetes

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s recent final rule that would ban virtually all noncompete agreements in the United States will take effect Sept. 4, 2024, barring delays from pending legal challenges. While the rule has garnered a significant amount of attention, many California businesses are already accustomed to complying with California’s long-standing public policy…

Background on the FTC’s Noncompete Ban

On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 3-2 to ban virtually all noncompete agreements on the basis that such agreements constitute “an unfair method of competition” under the Federal Trade Commission Act (the Act).[1] The ban—which is currently set to take effect Sept. 4, 2024—will…

The Illinois General Assembly has unanimously passed a bill that will significantly affect the legality of post-employment non-competition and non-solicitation agreements between employers and their Illinois employees entered into after Jan. 1, 2022. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign the bill into law. The bill, Amendment 1 to SB 672, amends the…

Employers – in light of recent action by the Biden administration, it is time to review and evaluate restrictive covenants being used with your workforce. Courts, state legislatures, and the president are increasingly scrutinizing such covenants, including noncompete agreements.

President Joe Biden campaigned on a platform to eliminate and reduce barriers for employees seeking higher…

The enforceability of restrictive covenants, particularly non-compete agreements, can be very difficult for employers to navigate, especially for companies in their “start-up” phase. Technology companies in particular face challenges in structuring non-competes that balance their need to attract talent with their need to protect confidential and sensitive information, while preventing unfair competition by former employees.…

The Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act, M.G.L. c. 149, § 24L, has been the law of the Commonwealth for almost four months. The statute only applies to agreements entered into between employers and certain employees and independent contractors on or after Oct. 1, 2018, so the law’s ramifications are still largely yet to be determined. Nevertheless,…

On August 10, 2018, Governor Baker signed into law the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act (the Act). The new law brings significant changes to the use and enforcement of noncompetition agreements in Massachusetts. The Act was passed as part of a comprehensive economic development bill and applies to noncompetition agreements entered into on or after October…

As companies grow and expand into multiple U.S. states, particularly in our increasingly knowledge and relationship-based economy, determining the applicable law for companywide restrictive covenants can be puzzling. Determining which law applies can make the difference between enforcement or the inability to enforce the covenants.

In Cardoni et al. v. Prosperity Bank (Case Nos. 14-20682…