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On March 7, 2025, lawyers for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed motions requesting a 120-day stay of the agency’s appeal of district court decisions in the Fifth Circuit and Eleventh Circuit, which had blocked the FTC’s proposed ban on non-competes (the “Rule”) in the Ryan v. FTC and Properties of the Villages (“POV”) v. FTC cases, respectively. The nearly-identical

Continue Reading FTC Requests Stay of Appeals to Challenges to FTC Non-Compete Rule Citing New Administration

As Republicans regain control of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) under the Trump-Vance Administration, employers that looked to maintain and enforce their non-compete agreements with employees may have found solace in the statements of certain FTC Commissioners who vocally opposed the FTC’s nationwide ban on non-compete agreements. However, recent statements by the FTC’s newly-appointed Chair, Andrew Ferguson, along with the

Continue Reading FTC Launches Joint Task Force to Investigate and Prosecute Non-Compete Agreements, as FTC Chairman declares the GOP a “Workers’ Party”

2025 Trade Secrets Webinar Series

Tuesday, March 25, 2025
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mountain
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific

REGISTER HERE

About the Program

Artificial intelligence (“AI”) is transforming industries at lightning speed—but with innovation comes risk. As AI reshapes how businesses operate, protecting proprietary AI-related

Continue Reading Webinar: AI & Trade Secrets – Protecting Your Competitive Edge

On February 14, 2025, NLRB Acting General Counsel William B. Cowan rescinded a number of active General Counsel Memoranda citing an increasing “backlog of cases [grown] to the point where it is no longer sustainable.” Among those rescinded were a pair of memos issued by recently ousted NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo that declare non-compete agreements between employers and workers

Continue Reading Acting NLRB General Counsel Rescinds Biden-Era Policy Guidance on Non-Compete Agreements

Tuesday, January 28, 2025
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Central
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Mountain
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Pacific

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About the Program

Join Seyfarth partners Michael Wexler, Jesse Coleman, and Robyn Marsh for a concise analysis of 2024’s most critical legal developments. This webinar equips general counsel, employment counsel

Continue Reading Webinar: 2024 Trade Secrets & Non-Competes: Key Trends and Insights

In 2024, Seyfarth’s Trade Secrets, Computer Fraud & Non-Compete practice group presented a series of dynamic and insightful CLE webinars, addressing pivotal challenges confronting businesses head-on. The breadth of our discussions encompassed a spectrum of critical topics:

  1. 2024 Trade Secrets & Non-Competes Year in Review
  2. Navigating the Intersection of Non-Compete Agreements and Employee Mobility
  3. Employee Training Programs: Building a Culture of Confidentiality
  4. Navigating Legal Minefields: Insights from Seyfarth’s 2024 Commercial Litigation Outlook
  5. Deciphering the FTC’s Non-Compete Ban: Navigating the New Regulatory Terrain and Adequately Protecting Employers’ Interests
  6. Data Protection and Cybersecurity: Safeguarding Trade Secrets in the Digital Age
  7. Unveiling Trade Secrets Breaches: Leveraging Forensic Exams for Robust IP Protection
  8. Enforcement Strategies Beyond Litigation: Leveraging Alternative Dispute Resolution
  9. Trade Secrets Audits: Assessing and Strengthening Your Company’s IP Protection
  10. What Employers Need to Know Regarding Non-Compete Changes in 2024

To conclude our impactful 2024 webinar series, we’ve carefully compiled key takeaways from each session. If you missed any sessions, recordings are available on our blog or through the provided links. We’re excited to share that Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit is attainable by watching the webinar recordings. For CLE credit inquiries, please email cle@seyfarth.com after viewing the webinar.Continue Reading 2024 Trade Secrets Webinar Series Recap: Key Takeaways and Access to Recordings

Tuesday, December 17, 2024
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mountain
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific

Register Here

About the Program

Join us for the final installment of Seyfarth’s 2024 Trade Secrets Webinar Series, where our panel will provide practical guidance on navigating non-compete agreements, safeguarding trade secrets

Continue Reading Webinar – What Employers Need to Know Regarding Non-Compete Changes in 2024

On October 4, 2024, Plaintiff ATS Tree Services, LLC (“ATS”) voluntarily dismissed its claims against the FTC challenging the agency’s Non-Compete Rule. See ATS Tree Services, LLC v. Fed. Trade Comm’n, et al., No. 2:24-CV-01743-KBH (E.D. Pa. July 23, 2024). The dismissal ends the case before a decision on the merits, preventing the FTC from obtaining a favorable ruling

Continue Reading Pennsylvania Plaintiff Drops Challenge to FTC Non-Compete Rule

Just over a month ago, employers throughout the United States breathed a sigh of relief after Judge Ada Brown in the Northern District of Texas issued a summary judgment ruling in the Ryan v. FTC litigation setting aside the FTC’s rule banning the vast majority of non-competes (the “Rule”). In that decision, Judge Brown reasoned—just as she had in her

Continue Reading The Saga’s Not Over – FTC Appeals Florida Court’s Stay of Non-Compete Rule

Once again surprising the country by acting ten days before her own self-appointed deadline, a federal judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a ruling on August 20 in the Ryan v. FTC case setting aside the FTC Rule banning non-competes, and held (quoting Fifth Circuit precedent) that the ruling had “nationwide effect”

Continue Reading Federal Texas Court Sets Aside with “Nationwide Effect” the FTC Rule Banning Non-Competes