Trade Secret | Noncompete – Issues and Cases in the News – April 2013 Update

April 22, 2013

Russell Beck Fair Competition News, Massachusetts Noncompete Bill, Noncompetes, Privacy, Privacy Law, Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets , , , , , , Leave a comment

extras_03True to the unfortunate limit of 24 hours in a day, my posts continue to written during my vacations. This time, given the extended delay between vacations, and therefore posts on issues and cases making trade secrets | noncompete news, I am posting just some highlights of the past few months. Here we go…

Obama Administration: In February 2013, the Obama Administration issued Administration Strategy on Mitigating the Theft of U.S. Trade Secrets. In furtherance of that strategy, on March 19, 2013, the Administration solicited public comment on possible trade secrets “for an Administration legislative review related to economic espionage and trade secret theft.” The notice is available here. Comments are due by April 22, 2013. Peter Toren has commented already; his comments are here: Read My Federal Register Comments on Existing Laws Related to the Enforcement of Trade Secrets.

Second Circuit (personal jurisdiction): The Second Circuit, in a trade secrets misappropriation case, found personal jurisdiction over a former employee of a Connecticut company, who was a citizen of Canada, residing and working in Canada. The former employee was accused of misappropriating the company’s confidential information by emailing it to herself between the time she found out that she had been terminated and her last day of work. The employee’s contacts with Connecticut (and the United States) were extremely limited. However, the Court found significant that the employee’s employment agreement contained notice to the employee that the company’s email servers were located in Connecticut and that the employee could not transfer the company’s information to her personal email. The Court concluded that this language in the employment agreement put the employee on notice that any misconduct using the company’s email would be directed into Connecticut (a factor in the analysis of whether to exercise personal jurisdiction). See MacDermid, Inc. v. Deiter.

Sixth Circuit (BYOD risks): Eric Osteroff wrote a nice post on the Sixth Circuit’s decision in Kendall Holdings, Ltd. v. Eden Cryogenics, LLC concerning the perils of BYOD (bring your own device) policies. BYOD practices can have significant ramifications for trade secrets risks and need to be carefully considered in light of an overall trade secrets policy and approach. See Ken Vanko‘s post, The BYOD Thicket: Some Basic Steps to Take for Businesses. See also My phone or yours? EEOC official provides best practices for “bring your own device” policies.

Ninth Circuit: The Mattel v. MGA saga continues, with the reversal of MGA’s $170,000,000 trade secret verdict. See Ninth Circuit Takes Away MGA’s $170 Million Trade Secret Award Against Mattel. 

District of Columbia: Most noncompete and trade secrets litigation starts with the sending of a “cease and desist” letter. One concern is that the sending of such a letter might, if the facts turn out to be wrong, give rise to a defamation counterclaim. However, on March 18, 2013, the United States District Court for the District of Washington rejected just such a claim. Specifically, the court held that the letter was protected by the litigation privilege, and therefore could not give rise to a defamation claim. For a discussion of the case, see Kara Maciel‘s (from my former firm, Epstein Becker & Green) post, Cease and Desist Letters Enjoy An Absolute Privilege From Libel Claims. As John Marsh of Hahn Loeser points out, however, the fact that a defamation claim doesn’t lie, does not equate to no risk of a tortious interference claim. Cease and Desist Letters: Defamation May Not Be An Issue But Watch Out for Tortious Interference.

Federal Circuit: The Federal Circuit in Phillip M. Adams & Assoc., LLC v. Dell Computer Corp applied the discovery rule to toll the statute of limitation in a trade secrets case. For more discussion, see Federal Circuit Addresses Uniform Trade Secrets Act Discovery Rule by Eric Ostroff.

Florida: Notwithstanding a confidentiality agreement and nonsolicitation agreement, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (Tampa) permitted a former employee to use her former employer’s customer list to mass email an announcement (sometimes called a “wedding-style announcement”) to her former employer’s customers. See The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company (VALIC) v. Laeng. For additional reading, see Mass-Mailing To Public Employees Did Not Violate Non-Solicitation Agreement by John Nefflen at Burr Forman.

In another interesting case, Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeals affirmed an injunction where the employer offered testimony establishing that it secured the noncompete to protect its goodwill, that the defendant had been offering similar services for less money, and that the employer lost business. For more, see Fox Rothchild‘s Jason Cornell‘s post, United States: Enforcing a Non-Compete Agreement in Florida: What Evidence is Relevant?

New York (CFAA): The United State District Court for the Southern District of New York has opted for the more narrow interpretation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in Advanced Aerofoil Technologies, AG v. Todaro. For more, see The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and Protecting Employer’s Electronic Data by Kristin Parsons of Burr & Forman and Another Court Construes the CFAA Narrowly and More of My Thoughts on the Statute by Ken Vanko.

New York (jurisdiction/venue): On January 10, 2013, the New York Appellate Division, First Department, in Aon Risk Services v. Cusack, rejected efforts to dismiss a noncompete case in favor of a prior filed action in California. For an in-depth discussion, see Battle Rages On In Epic Restrictive Covenant Dispute by David Clark of Epstein Becker & Green.

North Carolina: The North Carolina Court of Appeals held a noncompete in a staffing case – involving the sale of business – to be unenforceable. The agreement covers a number of legal points, any one of which would be sufficient to invalidate the agreement based on its language.  The court noted the plaintiff’s admission that there were no trade secrets or proprietary information at issue and that the employees were “general laborer[s].” The court then determined that the agreement was overly broad and really directed toward preventing ordinary competition, rather than the protection of goodwill. See Phelps Staffing, LLC v. C. T. Phelps, Inc. Most interesting about the case, however, is that the plaintiff purchased the staffing company from its then-owned, defendant Sheila Phelps. But, Ms. Phelps’s husband, who had been working with her, had started a competing venture shortly before the sale. He was present at the sale, presumably understood the terms, and received substantial benefit from it (the sale was $1.4 million). Oddly, he was not required to sign any documents – although one of the agreements required him not to interfere. Accordingly, even though he was a clear threat, neither the trial court nor the Court of Appeals was willing to restrain him even though he benefited substantially from the sale. Compare that with Zions First National Bank v. Macke, discussed by Amy Dehnel at Berman Fink Van Horn in Can an Employee Use a Spouse to Circumvent Restrictive Covenants? Georgia Court of Appeals Says “No.”

Wyoming: According to RT, “A district judge in Wyoming has shot down a group of environmentalists who tried to gather information about the long-term effects of fracking . . . .” See Fracking chemicals to stay ‘trade secrets.’

Legislation and Bills: A handful of states have recently proposed legislation relating to noncompetes and/or trade secrets. Ken Vanko, John Marsh, and I recorded a FairlyCompeting podcast discussing some of that proposed legislation.Here is some additional information:

Illinois: The Illinois House of Representatives has introduced a bill that, although saying it would allow “noncompetes,” would actually ban noncompetes, though allow  nonsolicitation agreements if they meet certain defined criteria. Although the bill is too long to post its contents, the full text can be found here. Ken Vanko has a nice discussion of the bill in A Brief Commentary on Illinois’ Proposed Noncompete Agreement Act.

Maryland: The Maryland Senate introduced a bill that would render noncompetes enforceable if the employee were terminated and therefore eligible for unemployment benefits. The operative text is as follows:

IF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS UNEMPLOYED HAS APPLIED FOR AND IS FOUND ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS AS PROVIDED IN TITLE 8 OF THIS ARTICLE, THE INDIVIDUAL MAY NOT BE BOUND BY A NONCOMPETITION COVENANT ENTERED INTO WITH THE INDIVIDUAL’S PRIOR EMPLOYER.

The bill would apply only prospectively to noncompetes entered into after October 1, 2013 (the putative effective date of the statute). The bill has, however, been reported unfavorably out of the Finance Committee.

Massachusetts: I previously discussed the proposed, scaled-down noncompete legislation in Massachusetts, limiting the duration of noncompetes, unless one of three exceptions exists. See New Massachusetts Noncompete Bill. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.

In addition, Massachusetts is again considering adopting the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (HB 27). This time, however, there is a competing UTSA bill (HB 1225) that combines the UTSA with an outright ban of employee noncompetes. The text relating to noncompetes provides:

Section 19 of Chapter 149 of the General Laws of Massachusetts is hereby amended by inserting at the end the following new paragraphs:

Any written or oral contract or agreement arising out of an employment relationship that prohibits, impairs, restrains, restricts, or places any condition on, a person’s ability to seek, engage in or accept any type of employment or independent contractor work, for any period of time after an employment relationship has ended, shall be void and unenforceable with respect to that restriction. This section shall not render void or unenforceable the remainder of the contract or agreement.

For the purposes of this section, chapter 149, section 148B shall control the definition of employment.

This section shall be construed liberally for the accomplishment of its purposes, and no other provision of the General Laws shall be construed in a manner that would limit its coverage. Nothing in this section shall preempt tort or contract claims, or other statutory claims, based upon an employer’s use, or attempted use of an unlawful contract or agreement to interfere with subsequent employment or contractor work.

This section shall apply to all contracts and agreements, including those executed before the effective date of this act.

Both UTSA bills were referred to the Judiciary Committee, and remain there.

Michigan: The Michigan Senate introduced SB 786, which, if passed would, like New Hampshire (see here), require advance notice of noncompetes. The text of the bill is as follows:

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

Sec. 4a. (1) An employer may obtain from an employee an agreement or covenant which protects an employer’s reasonable competitive business interests and expressly prohibits an employee from engaging in employment or a line of business after termination of employment if the agreement or covenant is reasonable as to its duration, geographical area, and the type of employment or line of business. To the extent any such agreement or covenant is found to be unreasonable in any respect, a court may limit the agreement to render it reasonable in light of the circumstances in which it was made and specifically enforce the agreement as limited.
THIS SUBSECTION APPLIES to covenants and agreements entered into after March 29, 1985.
(2) AN EMPLOYER SHALL NOT REQUIRE AND A COURT SHALL NOT ENFORCE AN AGREEMENT OR COVENANT UNDER THIS SECTION AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT IF THE EMPLOYER DID NOT INFORM THE EMPLOYEE OF THE REQUIREMENT AT OR BEFORE THE TIME OF THE INITIAL OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT. THIS SUBSECTION APPLIES TO AN AGREEMENT OR COVENANT ENTERED INTO AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE AMENDATORY ACT THAT ADDED THIS SUBSECTION.
Ken Vanko has an interesting discussion of the bill here.

Minnesota: The Minnesota House of Representatives introduced H. F. No. 506, which contains the following text:

 A bill for an act relating to commerce; regulating employment agreements; voiding certain noncompete agreements; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 325D.

 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

 Section 1. [325D.72] NONCOMPETE AGREEMENTS VOID.

 A contract that prohibits a party to that contract from exercising a lawful profession, trade, or business is void with the following exceptions:

(1) a seller of a business’ goodwill can agree to refrain from carrying on a similar business in a specified county, city, or part of one of them if the buyer carries on a like business in that area;

(2) partners dissolving a partnership can agree that one or more of them will not carry on a similar business in a specified county, city, or part of one of them where the partnership transacted business; and

(3) a member, when dissolving or terminating their interest in a limited liability company, can agree that the member will not carry on a similar business in a specified county, city, or part of one of them where the business has been transacted if another member or someone taking title to the business carries on a like business in that area.

 EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

For additional reading, see Minnesota House Bill Threatens to Void Non-Compete Agreements by Faegre Baker Daniels.

New Jersey: The New Jersey Assembly introduced a bill A3970 much like the bill introduced by Maryland (see above). The text is as follows:

BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

      1.    An unemployed individual found to be eligible to receive benefits pursuant to the “unemployment compensation law,” R.S.43:21-1 et seq., shall not be bound by any covenant, contract, or agreement, entered into with the individual’s most recent employer, not to compete, not to disclose, or not to solicit. This section shall not be construed to apply to any covenant, contract, or agreement in effect on or before the date of enactment of P.L.   , c.  (C.   )(pending before the Legislature as this bill).

      2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

Thank you to both Douglas Neu and Janette Levey Frisch for bringing this to my attention. For some additional reading, see Heated discussion as attorneys debate merits of noncompete bill and New Jersey Joins Wave Of States Considering Limitations on Noncompete Agreements. Thanks to Sue Reisinger for her article, Looking at the Future of Cybersecurity.

Texas: The Texas legislature is considering SB 953, which would effectively adopt the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, making Texas the 48th state to adopt some version, leaving just Massachusetts and New York as the last-remaining holdouts.

Related Items of Interest:

Fairly Competing – A New Podcast

February 19, 2013

Russell Beck Fair Competition News, FCL, Noncompetes, Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets, Unfair Competition Basics , , , , , , Leave a comment

FairComp LogoI am thrilled to announce that I have been given the opportunity to work with two of my favorite (though far more prolific) bloggers, Ken Vanko and John Marsh, to create a brand new podcast: Fairly Competing, a Competition Law Podcast. It is among the first podcasts devoted to trade secrets, restrictive covenants (noncompetes), and related unfair competition laws.

We have recorded two episodes so far, and will be recording our third soon. We hope to record one every two weeks or so. They will generally last about 20-25 minutes, after the first episode (which was about 40 minutes). The will be available to listen to through the three speakers’ blogs, on iTunes, and on Fairly Competing.

The first episode is an examination of a few of the most significant trade secrets/noncompete/unfair competition developments in 2012 (sort of an abbreviated year in review). Listen.

For anyone interested in a more detailed review of the trade secrets developments in 2012, I have provided here my (quite lengthy) materials for the trade secrets portion of this year’s Boston Bar Association’s annual IP Law Year in Review CLE. In addition, both Ken Vanko (here) and John Marsh (starting here) have excellent posts covering similar issues.

The second episode covers the recent prosecution of internet activist and Reddit founder, Aaron Swartz, under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). We discuss the forces that shaped this tragic case, consider whether changes to the CFAA are needed, and debate whether Silicon Valley Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren’s proposed amendment to the CFAA goes far enough. Listen.

The third episode will cover recent and proposed noncompete legislation around the country.

To subscribe to our podcast on iTune, click here.

We hope you will listen and enjoy them as much as we do!

New Massachusetts Noncompete Bill

January 28, 2013

Russell Beck Fair Competition News, Massachusetts Noncompete Bill, Noncompetes, Restrictive Covenants , , , , , 1 Comment

cropped-cimg27721.jpgThere is a new noncompete bill in Massachusetts. (Jump to the end for the details.) It is not yet docketed, however, so I do not have an official version to post at this time.

Those following the Massachusetts legislature’s efforts to improve Massachusetts noncompete law will recall that in 2008, then-Representative, now Senator, Will Brownsberger and Representative Lori Erhlich each separately introduced their own noncompete bills. Brownsberger’s bill took the approach in California, Oklahoma, and North Dakota, banning noncompetes in the employee context. Ehrlich’s bill took a moderated approach, focusing on procedural and other limits.

In the spring of 2009, Rep. Brownsberger and Rep. Ehrlich decided to work together toward modifications acceptable to both. After extensive input from many different interests, they arrived at a “compromise bill” designed to codify, clarify, and modernize Massachusetts noncompete law. The compromise bill was revised over time and developed quite a bit of steam during the 2008–2009 legislative session, but ultimately died. Then, a revised version of the bill was introduced in 2010, though it too ultimately died.

This session, Senator Brownsberger and Representative Erhlich have tried an entirely new, streamlined approach. (As readers of this blog will know, I was involved with the bills from the very beginning, including this new bill, and have been the principal draftsperson; I view my role, however, as purely advisory and that of scrivener. I give my opinions on the pros and cons of the various possible approaches and language, but take no position on the policy.)

The new bill – called the “Noncompete Agreement Duration Act” – leaves most noncompete law in tact, and, as its name suggests, focuses on the duration of noncompetes (in the employer/employee context). As before, the bill does not affect the law of trade secrets, nondisclosure agreements, nonsolicitation agreements, no raid/no hire agreements, noncompetes in connection with the sale of business (if the restricted person owns at least a 10 percent interest and received substantial consideration) or outside the employment context, forfeiture agreements, or agreements not to reapply for a job.

The bill starts with, and is premised on, the following two findings:

  • “[T]he Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a significant interest in its economic competitiveness and the protection of its employers, and a strong public policy favoring the mobility of its workforce” and
  • “[T]he Commonwealth of Massachusetts has determined that an employee noncompetition agreement restricting an employee’s mobility for longer than six months is a restraint on trade and harms the economy.”

The bill then creates a presumption that a noncompete that lasts up to six months is presumed reasonable in duration. The bill also creates the opposite presumption: a noncompete that lasts more than six months is presumed unreasonable in duration. The presumptions are not absolute; they can be overcome. If a court determines that the duration is unreasonable, however, the noncompete will be unenforceable in its entirety.

There are three instances in which a noncompete that is unreasonable in duration can still be enforced (though the court will shorten the duration to the length of time determined to be appropriate). Those three instances are as follows:

  1. “the employee has breached his or her fiduciary duty to the employer”; 
  2. “the employee unlawfully taken, physically or electronically, property belonging to the employer”; or
  3. “the employee has, at any time, received annualized taxable compensation from the employer of $250,000 or more.”
I expect that the bill – as well as another bill taking the California approach – will continue to be the subject of much discussion. If you have input, we would be extremely interested in hearing from you.

Amazon.com v. Powers’s Lessons for Us All

January 5, 2013

Russell Beck Fair Competition News, Noncompetes, Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets , , , , , , , Leave a comment

GoogleScreen Shot 2013-01-05 at 10.19.17 AMI have at least had a chance to read the December 27, 2012 decision of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington in Amazon.com v. Powers, granting in part and denying in part Amazon’s request for a preliminary injunction against one of its former executives, Daniel Powers.

The case involves a high level former Amazon employee, Mr. Powers, subject to the typical restrictive covenants (nondisclosure, no-raid, nonsolicitation, noncompete, and invention assignment). Mr. Powers was responsible for sales of Amazon cloud computing services. Mr. Powers was terminated from Amazon and, importantly, took nothing. (This is always best practice for a departing employee.) Nor did he have plans to work elsewhere at the time that he was terminated.

Three months later, Mr. Powers joined Google. Google and Mr. Powers agreed that Mr. Powers would not: refer to cloud computing in his title until the end of 2012 (i.e., about 6 months after his termination); be involved with cloud computing for 6 months (i.e., for 9 months after his termination); use or disclose Amazon’s confidential information; work with Amazon’s customers for 6 months (i.e., for 9 months after his termination); and be involved with the hiring of Amazon’s employees for 12 months from his termination.

Google’s and Powers’ voluntary restrictions were insufficient for Amazon. Amazon sued in Washington state court. Mr. Powers removed the case to the Western District.

The case is interesting for many reasons, including those identified by Ken Vanko in his post on Legal Developments in Non-Competition Agreements. Here are five of the reasons:

First, the Court, somewhat surprisingly, denied Amazon’s request for a preliminary injunction to protect its confidential information.

The Court’s decision in this regard was based on the following factors: (1) Amazon was unable to definitively identify what specific knowledge is “still” in Mr. Power’s memory without discovery, which Amazon declined to do before the preliminary injunction hearing, and (2) Mr. Powers and his new employer (Google) agreed to “virtually every restriction Amazon seeks in its injunction . . . .” The defendants’ voluntary commitment to protect the information was seen by the Court as establishing that Amazon was unlikely to prove that Mr. Powers would use confidential information (even if Amazon had been able to prove that Mr. Powers still remembered confidential information). Factual scenarios like this are quite common and frequently come out the other way, with the Court granting an injunction protecting confidential information.

Second, the Court’s analysis of the lack of proof of trade secrets provides a cautionary tale. Specifically, with regard to the issue of the existence of protectable trade secrets, the Court stated as follows:

Amazon did not ask to file any evidence under seal, suggesting that it believes the court will divine what information is a trade secret from [a] public declaration [of one of its employees]. Having scoured that declaration, the court is unable to do so. The court acknowledges that it is likely that Mr. Powers learned information that would qualify as a trade secret while he was at Amazon. See RCW § 19.108.010(4) (defining trade secret as a information that derives “independent economic value” from being neither known nor readily ascertainable and that is subject to reasonable efforts to maintain its secrecy). But if there is trade secret information that Mr. Powers could still be expected to know, Amazon has not identified it.

The takeaway from that paragraph is to take heed of the seemingly increasing trend of courts (not just in the 9th Circuit) to require early particularization of trade secrets (and, of course, a corresponding willingness to accept the alleged secrets under seal).

Third, the Court deftly avoided deciding whether Washington has or has not recognized the inevitable disclosure doctrine – an area of the law receiving significant attention in many recent decisions. Despite the Court’s avoidance of the issue, it nevertheless made the following cautionary observation (for others to take note of in the future):

Were inevitable disclosure as easy to establish as Amazon suggests in its motion, then a nondisclosure agreement would become a noncompetition agreement of infinite duration. . . . Washington law does not permit that result.

Fourth, the Court’s analysis of the nonsolicitation (of customers) restriction was quite thorough and informative. Specifically, the Court first observed that Washington courts are more apt to enforce a nonsolicitation agreement than a noncompete agreement, because the nature of the restriction on the employee is less severe. However, in shorting to nine months the 18-month stated duration of the restriction, the Court’s analysis was as follows:

This is not a case where Mr. Powers seeks to leap from Amazon immediately to Google with his former customers in tow. He stopped working with Amazon customers more than six months ago. There is no evidence he has had contact with any of them since then. There is no direct evidence that he intends to pursue business with any of them. The only indirect evidence that he has interest in contacting his former customers is that he has chosen to fight Amazon’s efforts to enforce the Agreement. Although the personal aspects of his relationships with his former customers might be expected to endure for more than six months, they might just as well extend even beyond the 18-months that the Agreement provides. Amazon has not explained why it selected an 18-month period, nor has it disputed Mr. Powers’ suggestion that the Agreement he signed is a “form” agreement that Amazon requires virtually every employee to sign. Because Amazon makes no effort to tailor the duration of its competitive restrictions to individual employees, the court is not inclined to defer to its one-size-fits-all contractual choices. Amazon has not convinced the court that the aspects of Mr. Powers’ relationships with customers that depend on confidential Amazon information are still viable today.

The influence that each of those facts (the six month period before Mr. Powers joined Google; his lack of communication; the “evidence” of his interest in contacting the clients; the potential longevity of the client relationships; the “form” nature of the agreement; and the absence of confidential information) had on the Court’s decision should be instructive to those of us facing these issues in Washington (and elsewhere). Each raises all sorts of questions.

Focusing, for example, on the longevity of the relationship as compared with the duration of the restriction. That issue exists not just with customer relationships, but with confidential information and trade secrets protectable through noncompetes. In fact, one of the criticisms of noncompetes is that they are not coterminous with the life of the trade secrets. Good luck to Coca-Cola enforcing a noncompete until the secret formula to Coke is revealed. It won’t happen. Nor, I suspect, would a court refuse to enforce Coca-Cola’s secret formula based noncompete simply because the secret formula would outlive the restriction.

Well, then, why should a nonsolicitation agreement be circumscribed because the goodwill may extend longer than the restriction? While it’s easy to understand modifying (i.e., shortening) the duration when the restriction would outlive its utility, it’s hard to understand shortening it because the restriction isn’t long enough. Does this suggest that the Court would be receptive to a defense in the context of a noncompete on the ground that the trade secrets protected by the noncompete will outlast the restriction, so the restriction is unnecessary? Unclear.

And, fifth, similar to Ken’s point, the Court’s analysis of the noncompete is instructive. The Court reasoned as follows:

Its ban on working with former customers serves to protect the goodwill it has built up with specific businesses. A general ban on Mr. Powers’ competing against Amazon for other cloud computing customers is not a ban on unfair competition, it is a ban on competition generally. Amazon cannot eliminate skilled employees from future competition by the simple expedient of hiring them. To rule otherwise would give Amazon far greater power than necessary to protect its legitimate business interest. No Washington court has enforced a restriction that would effectively eliminate a former employee from a particular business sector. This court will not be the first, particularly where Amazon has not provided enough detail about the nature of AWS’s cloud computing business to convince it that an employee like Mr. Powers can only compete with AWS by competing unfairly.

The two aspects of the decision that seem atypical are that: (1) the Court used the nonsolicitation covenant to undermine the noncompete; and (2) the Court refused – under the particular facts presented – to bar Mr. Powers from a particular business sector. While both can be seen as a mere failing of the sufficiency of Amazon’s evidence, they seem to be more; they seem to suggest an overall reluctance by the Court to enforce noncompete agreements – especially where Washington is a reformation state (meaning that the courts can essentially rewrite a restriction to make it reasonable).

Stay tuned to see how the law develops in Washington (and elsewhere). It should be interesting!

Trade Secret | Noncompete – Issues and Cases in the News – October-November 2012

November 26, 2012

Russell Beck Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Fair Competition News, Noncompetes, Privacy, Restrictive Covenants, Social Media, Trade Secrets , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Once again, this installment of “Trade Secret | Noncompete Issues and Cases in the News” is my vacation readings update. There is again a lot here! Enjoy…

Federal/Antitrust: In October 2009, Computerworld published an article of mine entitled, “No-poach agreements: A new generation of restriction.” The article discussed a no-poach agreement used by several large high tech companies (Adobe Systems, Inc., Apple Inc., Google Inc., Intel Corp., Intuit Inc. and Pixar) to refrain from soliciting the other’s employees. As I (here) and many others discussed at the time, this agreement led to an antitrust settlement with the DOJ in 2010. Now, as reported by CBS, the DOJ is at it again: “Justice Department sues eBay over non-compete agreement.” A copy of the DOJ complaint is here.

Federal/CFAA: As expected, there is finally a petition to the United States Supreme Court about the scope of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Following the 4th Circuit’s decision in WEC Carolina Energy Solutions LLC v. Miller, two circuits (the 4th and 9th) have employed a narrow interpretation of the CFAA, while four other circuits (the 1st, 5th, 7th, and 11th) have taken a more broad approach.

Federal/ERISA: Occasionally, ERISA issues pop up in noncompete cases. That is exactly what happened in Pactiv Corp v. Rupert, in which the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois held that a noncompete agreement sought to be imposed to receive severance benefits was not required by the ERISA severance plan and therefore the former employee was entitled to the benefits. For more reading, see “ERISA Severance Plans and Non-Compete Agreements Must Work Together,” by Peter Land.

California:

Georgia: The Georgia Court of Appeals granted summary judgment in Contract Furniture Refinishing & Maintenance Corp. v. Remanufacturing & Design Group, LLC, reminding practitioners how difficult it can be to show actual proof of trade secret misappropriation. For more reading, see Burr & Forman’s post, “The Difficulty of Proving Trade Secret Violations.”

Illinois: How far can you go when investigating the conduct of a former employee suspected of breaching his noncompete? That answer just got a bit more complicated in Illinois, which, in Lawlor v. North American Corporation of Illinois (October 18, 2012), has now recognized a claim for intrusion upon seclusion (basically an invasion of privacy claim). Long-time noncompete blogger, Ken Vanko, discusses the case here: “Supreme Court of Illinois Recognizes Intrusion Upon Seclusion Tort in Non-Compete Investigation.”

Massachusetts:

  • About a year and a half ago, I posted about a hairstylist who was enjoined from competing with his former employer-hair salon, Zona Corp. (See “Hairdresser Takes a Haircut”.) Last month, however, a different Massachusetts judge went the other way in Invidia, LLC v. DiFonzo, raising the very question that I (and many others) were asking about the Zona Salon case: Who owns the goodwill in the context of a hairstylist? The Invidia Court determined that the employer failed to show that it was its goodwill. For more, see “Engaging Facebook Friends Doesn’t Violate Non-Solicitation Clause.”

Michigan: What happens when you have the following facts: A nondisclosure agreement; no noncompete; an employee who acts properly upon departure (returning all information, etc.); and a decrease in your business? Nothing.  Well, at least according to a recent decision by the Court of Appeals of Michigan in Michigan One Funding, LLC v. MacLean (September 20, 2012). For more reading, see “Preventing an Employee From Working for a Competitor Unravels without an Enforceable Noncompete Agreement.”

Minnesota: When enforcing restrictive covenants, the difficulty is often obtaining evidence of a true risk of harm before discovery has taken place. In Sempris, LLC. V. Watson (D. Minn. Oct. 22, 2012), the federal District Court denied a temporary restraining order based on the plaintiff’s failure to provide evidence of an imminent threat, as opposed to speculative or remote future harm. For more reading, see Paul Freehling’s post, “Speculative Fears Insufficient for Non-Compete Temporary Restraining Order Against Former Employee.”

Missouri: Choice of law provision selecting Missouri (where plaintiff was located) over Oklahoma (which like California and North Dakota, bars employee noncompetes and where defendants were located and where most of the conduct occurred) was enforced by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in TLC Vision (USA) Corp. v. Freeman (E.D. Missouri Nov. 2, 2012). For more reading, see “Non-Compete Cases and Choice of Law: A Recent Case From Missouri,” by Jonathan Pollard.

New York: In perhaps the first 2nd Circuit decision to directly “address[] when enforcement of a covenant restricting competition may irreparably injure a former employee,” the Court held that “[d]ifficulty in obtaining a job is undoubtedly an injury, but it is not an irreparable one” when “monetary damages will compensate [the plaintiff] adequately . . . .”  Hyde v. KLS Professional Advisors Group, LLC (October 12, 2012). Given the 2nd Circuit’s pronouncement that “irreparable harm [is] the ‘single most important prerequisite for the issuance of a preliminary injunction,’” this decision should have significant implications for noncompete cases in the federal courts in New York, Connecticut, and Vermont.

Oklahoma: Rarely do restrictive covenant cases or trade secret cases proceed much beyond the injunction stage. When they do, the fight can be over permanent injunctive relief, damages, or both. Even then, damages are typically lost profits or disgorgement of profits. Sometimes, however, damages can be a reasonable royalty. That was the case in Skycam, LLC v. Bennett. There, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma found injunctive relief to be against public policy, given limited competition, and instead ordered royalty payments – an initial payment of $1,000,000 plus $5,000 per use for the 3.5 years it would have taken the defendants to independently create the misappropriated information.

Ohio: As you may recall, in the September 2012 issue of “Trade Secret | Noncompete – Issues and Cases in the News,” I noted that, on July 25, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a decision agreeing to reconsider its May 24 Acordia of Ohio, L.L.C. v. Fishel decision, which took a dim view of assignment of noncompete clauses. Well, the Court did review its decision. And it reversed it! Here is the new (presumably final) view of the Ohio Supreme Court: Acordia II (October 11, 2012), courtesy of my friend and prolific blogger, John Marsh.

South Carolina: In another trade secret trial, judgment entered for over $4.6 million against a former employee who was found to have misappropriated trade secrets and breached his fiduciary duties. See, “Greenville Businessman Ordered to Pay $4.6 Million for Taking Trade Secrets, Breaching Fiduciary Duty.”

Virginia: As the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia recently made clear in JTH Tax, Inc. v. Noor (September 26, 2012), failure to comply with an injunction requiring the return of trade secrets can have significant consequences, including an extension of the injunction. (Thank you to Jim Irving, who posted a link to the case in the LinkedIn Noncompete Lawyers group.)

Wisconsin: What happens to a plaintiff’s claim for misappropriation of trade secrets when the secret becomes publicly known? Nothing – at least according to a decision by the Eastern District of Wisconsin denying a motion to dismiss in Encap v. The Scotts Company. Well, to be clear, “nothing” in the sense that the claim survives a motion to dismiss when the information constituted a trade secret at the time of the misappropriation.  There’s no real surprise here; the cause of action is assessed as of the time the cause accrues; the fact that the circumstances later change does not affect the existence of the cause of action. (Damages may be another issue – assuming, of course, that the misappropriator was not the party that publicly disclosed the information.)

Criminal:

  • It’s always big news when employees of large companies are indicted for trade secret theft, especially when China is somehow involved. But, rarely do people report when those cases fail. So, kudos to The Trade Secrets Vault, Bloomberg, HudsonHubTimes, Alison Grant (writing for Cleveland.com here) and several others, all of whom reported that the former Bridgestone employee (Xiaorong Wang) accused of misappropriating Bridgestone’s secrets for the benefit of a Chinese company has been cleared.
  • John Marsh has an in-depth post on the latest in the Kolon/DuPont trade secrets dispute, the title of which begins, “The Kolonoscopy Continues . . . .” (The title is perfect, as is John’s discussion of the status.)

Related Items of Interest:

Trade Secret | Noncompete – Issues and Cases in the News – September 2012

September 1, 2012

Russell Beck Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Fair Competition News, Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine, Noncompetes, Restrictive Covenants, Social Media, Trade Secrets , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It seems that, lately, each installment of Trade Secret | Noncompete Issues and Cases in the News could be called, “What I read over my vacation.” As was inevitably the case, given the time between posts, there is again a lot here! Enjoy…

Please note that there are some things that require action, in particular, in New Hampshire, so, if you read nothing else, please check the jurisdictions in which you do business.

Federal/EEA: Some of the big news on the federal side: There is a renewed effort to bolster the Economic Espionage Act. For the latest, see: US House Passes Tougher IP Theft Bill (discussing the Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012, which would increase penalties for trade secret theft) and Senators Kohl and Coons Announce the Protecting American Trade Secrets and Innovation Act of 2012: Can they Get It Done This Time? (discussing the creation of a federal trade secret private right of action).

4th Circuit/CFAA: The split in the circuits on the issue of the scope of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act continues to grow as the 4th Circuit adopts the 9th Circuit’s narrow reading of the Act in WEC Carolina Energy Solutions LLC v. Miller. For an excellent discussion, see the Circuit | Splits blog’s post, “4th Circuit Deepens Division Over Scope of Computer Fraud & Abuse Act.” Keep your eyes on this issue for a petition to the Supreme Court (even though, as Brian Bialas notes here, the US Solicitor General did not petition for review of the Nosal case).

Arizona: The 9th Circuit, in Management and Engineering Technologies International, Inc. v. Information Systems Support, Inc., interpreting Arizona’s version of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, held (based on the facts of the case) that a plaintiff’s roster of employees is not a trade secret. For a discussion of the case, see UnIntellectual Property.

California: As most experienced trade secret / noncompete lawyers know, California has a strong public policy against noncompetes (and nonsolicitation agreements, etc.), with few exceptions. In a recent case, Fillpoint, LLC v. Maas (August 24, 2012), the California Court of Appeals (Fourth Appellate District) provided some recent clarification on the exceptions. For an excellent summary, see California Court Strikes Down Post-Employment Non-Compete Agreement, Raising Questions about the Validity of Employee Non-Solicits.

Georgia: On June 24, the 11th Circuit issued an unpublished decision (Becham v. Crosslink Orthopaedics, LLC) in which the Court made clear that the Georgia Legislature’s initial efforts to change Georgia’s noncompete law effective November 3, 2010 were unconstitutional; the law applies only prospectively, starting May 11, 2011. Accordingly, agreements entered into prior to May 11, 2011, are subject to Georgia’s prior (much more noncompete-unfriendly) law. For an excellent discussion of the case, read Benjamin Fink and Neal Weinrich’s post, An Important Development Regarding Georgia’s New Restrictive Covenants Law, on Georgia Non-Compete and Trade Secret News.

Iowa: In a recent, very fact-driven case involving the intersection of open records laws and trade secrets laws (see “Trade Secrets at the Intersection with Public Records” in a prior “Noncompete – Issues and Cases in the News” post), the Iowa Supreme Court held that trade secret protection was not available to a filmmaker’s budget summaries where the filmmaker was receiving tax credits. See Film Budget Summaries Are Not Trade Secrets.

Massachusetts: A recent decision, U.S. Electrical Services, Inc. v. Schmidt, from Judge Casper of the United States District Court provides a great summary of the distinction between the inevitable disclosure doctrine as a trade secret concept (used to get an injunction in the absence of a noncompete) on the one hand and using the likelihood of “inevitable disclosure” as the standard determining whether the breach of a noncompete is likely to cause irreparable harm to a former employer.  This distinction is often overlooked, and the concepts easily confused, so the case is definitely worth a read. In addition, it’s also interesting in that Judge Casper observes that Massachusetts has not adopted the inevitable disclosure doctrine, and then, nevertheless, analyzes the facts under the doctrine. For more discussion, see “Ex-employees’ work for competitor OK, Inevitable disclosure doctrine inapplicable,” in New England In-House.

Missouri: The latest statement by the Missouri Supreme Court (in Whelan Security Co. v. Kennebrew) on Missouri noncompete law. To hear the oral arguments or read the briefs, click here.

Nevada: The United States District Court for the District of Nevada held in Switch Communications Group v. Ballard that the plaintiff must first identify trade secrets with reasonable particularity before the defendant would be required to respond to discovery.

New Hampshire: There is both a very important statutory noncompete development and an interesting Computer Fraud and Abuse Act decision in New Hampshire recently.

Statutory Development: Those of you who are regular readers of this blog know that I have been assisting Representative Lori Ehrlich and Senator Will Brownsberger on the Massachusetts noncompete bill for the past several years. Well, while Massachusetts has been working on a comprehensive review, clarification, and overhaul of its noncompete laws, New Hampshire took a more streamlined approach and, as of July 14, 2012, will require advance notice of noncompetes and “non-piracy” agreements.

Companies need to comply now; comport your practices to the statute immediately. This affects new hires and existing employees.

The operative text of the law is as follows (and a link to the law in its entirety is available here):

Prior to or concurrent with making an offer of change in job classification or an offer of employment, every employer shall provide a copy of any non-compete or non-piracy agreement that is part of the employment agreement to the employee or potential employee. Any contract that is not in compliance with this section shall be void and unenforceable.

Now for the questions… While the statute was obviously intended to prevent the circumstance where an employee does not learn that he will be bound by restrictive covenants until he commences work (or some time after), by not defining key terms, the statute seems to have created quite a few uncertainties.  For example, does “non-compete” mean just a traditional noncompete or does it include garden leave clauses? Given that people often use the term “noncompete” to mean nonsolicitation agreements as well, as are those included?  What about nondisclosure agreements (which are also sometimes grouped in as “noncompetes”)? What is a non-piracy agreement? (Typically, that is a restriction on raiding employees, although it may be more likely that in New Hampshire it will be interpreted as an agreement not to solicit customers.) What about the meaning of a “change in job classification”? Is it a promotion? Is a change in title sufficient? Is it classification for wage laws? Will a significant raise be enough? If it is only some limited circumstance, what happens if a company legitimately needs to require a noncompete after an employee is working, but there is no “change in job classification,” does that mean no noncompete? What will happen to other (less restrictive) types of restrictive covenants, such as forfeiture agreements, forfeiture for competition agreements, nondisclosure agreements, etc.?

CFAA Decision: The United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire in Wentworth-Douglass Hospital v. Young & Novis Professional Association has, despite First Circuit precedent (in EF Cultural Travel BV v. Explorica, Inc.) seemingly to the contrary, applied a narrow interpretation to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Ohio: Two recent cases from Ohio are very interesting:

  • As discussed previously here (see Ohio section), the Ohio Supreme Ohio Supreme Court, on May 24, 2012, issued a decision (Acordia of Ohio, L.L.C. v. Fishel) on a significnt issue that is unsettled in many states: The assignability (typically in a corporate merger or acquisition) of an employee noncompete. In short, the Ohio Supreme Court held that to be assignable, noncompetes must say so. However, on July 25, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a decision agreeing to reconsider its decision. Stay tuned!

Invention Assignment Agreements: Invention assignment agreements are agreements where, typically, an employee will assign to his employer all rights to virtually anything he “invents” (or even thinks of in the shower) during the time of his employment, and frequently for a period after. There are very few cases addressing these agreements. However, recently, there were three: one in Wyoming, one in South Carolina, and one in Massachusetts.

I previously covered (with relevant links) the Wyoming case here. For an excellent analysis of the South Carolina case, see Ken Vanko’s post, Supreme Court of South Carolina Address Validity of Invention Assignment Clause.

In the Massachusetts case (Grocela v. The General Hospital Corporation), the Superior Court (Lauriat, J.), considered a physician’s claim that an invention assignment agreement – requiring Grocela to assign to Massachusetts General Hospital any inventions “that arise out of or relate to [his] clinical, research, educational or other activities . . . at [MGH]” – was unenforceable. The Court started from the premise that, “In general, the ‘law looks upon an invention as the property of the one who conceived, developed and perfected it, and establishes, protects and enforces the inventor’s rights in his invention unless he has contracted away those rights.’” The Court did, however, then consider issues of reasonableness, though not going so far as applying (expressly, at least) the standard reasonableness test (time, place, scope, narrowly tailored to protect legitimate business interests) typically applicable to restrictive covenants (which include invention assignment agreements). In the end, the Court found the assignment enforceable.

Criminal:

Related Items of Interest:

Trade Secret | Noncompete – Issues and Cases in the News – June 2012

June 9, 2012

Russell Beck Fair Competition News, Noncompetes, Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets , , , , , , Leave a comment

Once again, I am a bit behind on the next installment of Trade Secret | Noncompete Issues and Cases in the News. As a result, there is a lot here! Enjoy…

7th Circuit: The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision (Fail-Safe, LLC v. A.O. Smith Corporation) on March 28, 2012 discussing the need to take reasonable measures to protect information that you wish to protect as a trade secret. For a nice discussion of the case, see “Trade Secrets May Be Lost.”

California: On May 14, 2012, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California issued a lengthy decision (Vance’s Foods, Inc. v. Special Diets Europe Limited) analyzing and finding personal jurisdiction over an Irish company that allegedly misappropriated trade secrets from a company located in California with which it had a contractual relationship. Best practice: Include jurisdiction/forum selection provisions in restrictive covenants (and other contracts). For more on that, see my partner Steve Riden‘s article, “Taking your non-compete from good to great.”

Connecticut: A Connecticut trial court refused to enforce a noncompete against a real estate salesperson on the ground that it was punitive: “Century 21 Access America v. Garcia: Noncompete Clause Unenforceable against Salesperson.”

Delaware: Scott Holt, on the Delaware Non-Compete Blog (Settlement Discussions Not An Excuse for Delayed TRO Application To Enforce Noncompete), discusses a recent Delaware Chancery Court case highlighting the need to move quickly to seek a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction. In that case, the court concluded that the plaintiff had spent too much time trying to settle, when it should have instead been moving for injunctive relief. It bears mention that while results like this can and do happen, quite frequently courts do come out the other way.

Massachusetts: Several recent cases in Massachusetts are worth noting:

  • Ace Precision, Inc. v. FHP Associates Inc., decided by the Hampden County Superior Court. It’s significant for several reasons. First, it is one of the rare instances in which a noncompete case went to trial. Second, it involved noncompetes arising from the sale of business, which are not frequently litigated. (And it also, of course, involved many of the other claims that typically arise in the context of a suit to enforce a noncompete (e.g., breach of contract, tortious interference, conversion, violation of G.L. c. 93A (the Massachusetts unfair competition statute).) Third, the noncompete expressly precluded enforcement if the buyer (Ace Precision) was in default of its obligations in connection with the acquisition. Fourth, following the trial, the Court found that Ace was in default, and therefore refused to enforce the noncompete without the need to assess the noncompete at all. But more importantly, in a word of caution for others, it issued judgment not only against the plaintiff on all claims, but it found in favor of the defendant on some of its counterclaims.
  • Sentient Jet LLC v. Mackenzie, also decided by the Superior Court (Judge Garsh). David Frank of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly describes that case (no reported decision) as follows:

The defendant salesmen argued that the clause was unenforceable, relying on the CEO’s departure and the company’s possible purchase by another business as a “material change” in employment.

* * *

[But,] “[t]he prospect of a material change at some indefinite time in the future does not a material change make,” [Judge Garsh] said. “Similarly, the fact that [the plaintiff employer] has changed leadership is not evidence here of the kind of material change from which one would infer that the covenant not to compete was rescinded.”

  • Cesar v. Sundelin, decided by the Massachusetts Appeals Court, holds that a Probate Court judge can, in connection with the division of assets including a family business, impose a noncompete on the spouse that does not receive the business in the divorce. Brian Bialas, who discusses the case on the Massachusetts Noncompete Law blog, provides a copy of the case here.

Missouri: The Missouri Supreme Court, on April 17, 2012, affirmed a verdict of toritious interference when an employee – while still employed – encouraged co-workers to leave the company with no notice at staggered times, all in an effort to wrest control of a significant customer. The case is Western Blue Print Company, LLC v. Roberts. For more details, read my former partner, Peter Steinmeyer‘s post, Missouri Supreme Court Affirms Tortious Interference Verdict Against Manager Who Went To A Competitor.

New Hampshire: Ken Vanko has a nice summary of an unreported case in New Hampshire holding that New Hampshire’s version of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act broadly preempts pre-existing common law claims. Ken’s summary is available here: “New Hampshire Takes Broad View of Trade Secrets Preemption.”

New York: The New York Supreme Court (trial level court) issued a decision (MSCI Inc. v. Jacob) on April 20, 2012 that a trade secret holder has the burden – early in the case – to identify its trade secrets with specificity.

Ohio: The Ohio Supreme Court, on May 24, 2012) issued a decision (Acordia of Ohio, L.L.C. v. Fishel) on an issue that is unsettled in many states: The assignability (typically in a corporate merger or acquisition) of an employee noncompete. In short, the Ohio Supreme Court held that to be assignable, noncompetes must say so. As usual, John Marsh has written a very thoughtful analysis of the case, and provided excellent advice in his post, Acordia of Ohio v. Fishel: Ohio Supreme Court Finds Non-Compete Does Not Survive Merger If It Lacks “Successor or Assigns” Language. For the latest from the First Circuit on this, see the summary (and text) of a recent decision discussed on my firm’s website, under “1st Circuit Decisions on Noncompete Agreements.”

In an interesting, unrelated decision in Ohio, a trial court refused to enforce a noncompete to enjoin a radio personality from hosting an Internet “radio” show (on www.theradiosucks.com). See “Radio station fails in effort to silence ex-hosts.”

Tennessee: Tennessee has, by statutory amendment, changed temporal restrictions on physician noncompetes. For more information, see “Removal of the Six-Year Limitation for Healthcare Non-Compete Agreements in Tennessee.”

Virginia: The United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, on February 14, 2012, reversed the Eastern District of Virginia in a noncompete case (BP Products North America Incorporated v. Stanley LLC) in which the noncompete arose from a purchase and sale of land. The 4th Circuit concluded that the tougher standards applicable to noncompetes (typically arising in an employment context) were not applicable; the more lenient standards applicable to arms-length transactions should instead apply. For a nice discussion of this, see James Irving‘s newsletter story, Old Law Wins New Case.

Wyoming:  As described by Ken Vanko in “Supreme Court of Wyoming: Continued Employment Is Sufficient Consideration for Invention Assignment Agreement” the Wyoming Supreme Court (in Preston v. Marathon Oil Company) has weighed in on the continuing question of whether continued employment is sufficient consideration to support a restrictive covenant. Interestingly, while finding that continued employment is sufficient consideration for an invention assignment agreement, the rule for noncompete agreements has been (and continues to be) to the contrary in Wyoming (more than continued employment is required for a noncompete).

Criminal:

Related Items of Interest:

  • Also in a similar vein, the FBI has been stepping up its enforcement of trade secret theft – as well as a planned public awareness campaign. See here.
  • Similarly as well, Senator Coons, one of the United States Senators pushing to enhance the relief available under the Economic Espionage Act (discussed here), attended a hearing last month at which he “warned that trade secret theft is a growing problem and, in many cases, is done at the direction of foreign governments. ‘I can tell you,’ Coordinator Espinel responded, ‘trade secret theft is an enormous priority for us, and I think it’s clear that . . . the negative implications for our ability to compete globally when we lose trade secrets . . . are very significant.’” See Senator Coons’s description here.

BRR’s 50 State Noncompete Survey Updated – Illinois, Montana, Texas, and Wisconsin

April 30, 2012

Russell Beck Fair Competition News, Noncompetes, Restrictive Covenants , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The BRR 50 State Noncompete Chart has been updated (as of April 29, 2012) to reflect an update to Illinois, Montana, Texas, and Wisconsin laws.

The Illinois Supreme Court has rejected the controversial notion initially expressed in a 2009 decision from an Illinois appellate court (Sunbelt Rentals, Inc. v. Ehlers, 394 Ill.App.3d 421, 333 Ill.Dec. 791, 915 N.E.2d 862 (2009)) that a court need not consider whether a former employer has a legitimate business interest being protected by the noncompete agreement.  The Supreme Court’s decision, Reliable Fire Equipment Co. v. Arredondo, 2011 WL 6000743 (Dec. 1, 2011), although rejecting Sunbelt’s abandonment of the legitimate business interest test, did expand the scope of recognized legitimate business interests in Illinois, basing the test on the totality of the circumstances, rather than defined interests.

The Montana Supreme Court, in Wrigg v. Junkermier, 362 Mont. 496 (2011), held that there is no legitimate business interest (a necessary element to enforcement of noncompetes in most states) in enforcing a noncompete against a former employee who was terminated by the company without cause.

In Texas, as noted in connection with the Texas Supreme Court’s prior (now withdrawn and replaced) June 2011 decision (see Texas Overhauls Noncompete Law), until recently, noncompete law differed markedly from other states insofar as the consideration given for a noncompete in Texas had to relate to the legitimate business interest sought to be protected by the noncompete.  In December 2011, the Texas Supreme Court issued its replacement decision (Marsh v. Cook, 354 S.W.3d 764 (2011)) requiring that the consideration be “reasonably related” to the legitimate business interest to be served.

Finally, the chart was also revised to correct (thanks to a note we received from a very helpful user of the chart) a typographical error in the reference to Wisconsin’s statute and that Wisconsin law remains undecided on whether a noncompete will be enforceable against a discharged employee.

Trade Secret | Noncompete – Issues and Cases in the News – March 2012

March 18, 2012

Russell Beck Fair Competition News, Noncompetes, Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s time for this month’s Trade Secret | Noncompete Issues and Cases in the News.

Trade Secrets on the Internet: In the most recent case to address the issue of the effect of trade secrets being available on the Internet, the United States District Court for the Western District of Ohio reasoned as follows:

Absent from the Complaint is any allegation that Plaintiff made efforts to guard the secrecy of the information about its products. Instead, it appears from the limited record before the Court that Plaintiff has published this information on the Internet. Under these circumstances, the Court finds that Plaintiff has little likelihood of success on the merits of its Ohio Trade Secrets Act claim.

Given the limitation inherent in the facts alleged in the complaint, the case, Allure Jewelers, Inc. v. Ulu, does not add much to the growing body of law on the issue. For others, see Trade Secrets on the Internet.

Connecticut: The Connecticut Supreme Court has determined that public entities can shield their confidential information from the reach of public records acts requests. See Conn. high court rules university can withhold trade secrets.

Idaho: A bill to amend the Idaho trade secrets act has been introduced before the Idaho state Senate. If adopted, the bill will clarify that physical retention of a trade secret can be misappropriation, while mere memorization cannot be. (Whether trade secrets can be misappropriated by memory is a thorny issue, about which there is much disagreement nationally – see It’s All in Your Head.) The bill also creates an entitlement to legal fees for the prevailing party, and makes persons acting in concert with a misappropriator  jointly and severally liable if they turn a blind eye to the misappropriation.

Massachusetts: Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Lauriat was the latest to find that a material change in the terms of employment (even changes that are beneficial for the employee) when “coupled with an employee’s refusal to sign a new covenant at employer’s request” will vitiate a preexisting noncompete agreement. The teaching of these cases? Noncompetes should be drafted to anticipate the possibility of change and expressly apply to any new position; and care should be taken when asking for a new agreement to make clear what is to happen with the old agreement if the new one is not accepted.

New Hampshire: The New Hampshire legislature is considering a bill (HB 1270) that would require employers to disclose the requirement of a noncompete or non-piracy agreement before hiring an employee or changing the employee’s job classification. See Seacoast Online’s, Bills ‘crossover’ in coming weeks. If passed, the bill would amend the law to provide as follows:

Prior to or concurrent with making an offer of change in job classification or an offer of employment, every employer shall provide a copy of any non-compete or non-piracy agreement that is part of the employment agreement to the employee or potential employee. Any contract that is not in compliance with this section shall be void and unenforceable.

Texas: A Texas Court of Appeals, in Drennen v. Exxon Mobil Corporation, invalidated a forfeiture for competition agreement.

Utah: The Utah Court of Appeals issued a lengthy decision (CDC Restoration & Construction LC v. Tradesmen Contractors, LLC) covering two issues that occasionally arise in trade secret cases: (1) the circumstances under which a compilation of publicly available information will be deemed a trade secret; and (2) whether and which common law causes of action are preempted by the Uniform Trade Secrets Act.

With regard to when a compilation may qualify as a trade secret, the Court (quoting the Utah Supreme Court) held, “A compilation may qualify as a trade secret ‘if extensive effort is required to pierce its veil by assembling the literature concerning it and thereby uncover its parts’; on the other hand, ‘[i]f this can be readily done by one who is normally skilled in the field and has a reasonable familiarity with its trade literature, the secret may no longer be entitled to protection.’” It’s analysis of the particular facts in the case is worth a read.

Of particular note about the preemption issue is the Court’s observation in its conclusion, as follows:

With respect to its claim for misappropriation of pricing information, CDC finds itself boxed in by the UTSA. CDC lacks evidence hat the pricing information it claims [defendants] misappropriated qualifies as a trade secret under the UTSA. Yet that information is enough like a trade secret that CDC’s non-UTSA claims are preempted by the UTSA. The UTSA does not displace civil remedies not based upon misappropriation of trade secrets, nor does it displace contractual remedies, whether or not based upon misappropriation of trade secrets. However, CDC’s non-UTSA causes of action fit nether category. The are, accordingly, preempted.

The Court’s preemption analysis leading to this conclusion and observation about the effect of preemption, is far more involved and definitely worth a read.

Criminal Cases:

Related Items of Interest:

Trade Secret | Noncompete – Issues and Cases in the News – January/early-February 2012

February 5, 2012

Russell Beck Fair Competition News, Noncompetes, Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets Leave a comment

I am a bit behind on the January round-up, so, I’ve included some recent events through today. As with the other roundups, in addition to the brief summaries, you will find links for more in-depth reading on each issue. (These posts cover quite a bit of news, enjoy.) [Updated on February 6, 2012. (Updates are in bold.)]

FINRA: SWBC Investment Services was awarded damages, attorneys’ fees, an injunction requiring destruction and nonuse of SWBC’s information, and an order requiring that respondents retain an outside company to ensure destruction of certain files allegedly taken by a former employee broker. See In the Matter of the FINRA Arbitration Between SWBC Investment Services, LLC, Claimant/Counter-Respondent, vs. Titleist Asset Management, Ltd, Respondent and Greg Thompson, Respondent/Counter-Claimant(FINRA Arbitration 11-02350, January 10, 2012), reported by Forbes in FINRA Arbitrators Enjoin Brokerage Raid And Enforce Non-Compete.

Apple: So much has been written already about Apple’s failed efforts to seal documents in its case against Psystar (maker of unauthorized-Apple clones) that I will simply point you to a recent article, in case you missed all the press. Apple fails to keep “trade secrets” from public in Psystar case.

California: An issue that often arises in litigation is finding the right expert witness. The Southern District of California addressed this issue in Pellerin v. Honeywell International Inc., 2012 WL 112539 (S.D. Ca. Jan. 12, 2012), rejecting a former employee as an expert. It’s worth a read to understand the analysis that the court went through.

California/Pennsylvania: Another recent California decision (Aerotek v. The Johnson Group Staffing Co.) is noteworthy for its award of attorneys’ fees to a defendant in a trade secrets case. (The Trade Secrets & Employee Raiding Blog provides a very good and detailed discussion of the case.) And, the Western District of Pennsylvania – following a California decision – reached a similar decision in Hill v. Best Medical International (consolidated with other cases).

Michigan: The Michigan Court of Appeals, in an unreported decision (Actuator Specialities, Inc. v. Chinavare), relying on Michigan’s version of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (there was no noncompete) affirmed a three year injunction preventing a former employee from competing based on the threat of misappropriation. For a nice summary, see New Weapon for Michigan Employers Protecting Against Unfair Competition and Trade Secret Theft. And, note below the different result reached in Ohio (partially because of the threshold issue that the information was not a trade secret, but it is still worth a comparison).

Missouri: Noncompetes find their ways to all industries, some more so than others. But, you don’t usually see them used by farmers’ markets. Now, the Greater Springfield Farmers’ Market (of Missouri) implemented a 5 mile noncompete. And, in an interesting twist, it seems that the restriction was implemented through a policy of the market that was to be voted on voted on by the market’s members, but, according to an email we received, was apparently voted on only by the board. See ‘No-compete’ clause rare among farmers markets; Farmers’ Market Non-Compete Angers Some Local Growers. Oddly, that is not the only unusual noncompete news in Missouri this month. Apparently the Missouri School of Journalism imposed a noncompete on student journalists (and, it seems, the factuality supervisors) prohibiting them from working for other publications. Story here.

New York: A question that often arises is the standard applicable to no-raid agreements (sometimes called “nonsolicitation agreements,” though if that term is used, it should be clear that it’s nonsolicitation of employees, rather than a typical nonsolicitation agreement, which prohibits solicitation of customers or clients). That issue was most recently addressed by the Western District of New York (a federal district court) in Renaissance Nutrition, Inc. v. Jarrett,  2012 WL 42171 (January 9, 2012). [Thank you Ken Vanko for pointing out that case; as readers of this blog know, Ken administers an excellent blog on noncompetes called Legal Developments in Non-Competition Agreements.]

Ohio: I give Ken Vanko (see just above) credit for finding this one too: He came across a case in Ohio, Columbus Bookkeeping & Bus. Svcs., Inc. v. Ohio State Bookkeeping, LLC, 2011 WL 6938340 (Ohio Ct. App. December 30, 2011), in which the Ohio Court of Appeals overturned an injunction that was based, essentially, on the lower court’s misapplication of trade secret law. The case is interesting for its analysis of client lists protections in the absence of a noncompete or nondisclosure agreement. The lower court had issued an injunction prohibiting former employees from serving the plaintiff’s customers for about a year. The Court of Appeals overturned the injunction based on its conclusion that the customer list did not qualify as a trade secret. In further analyzing the lower court’s decision, however, the Court of Appeals also observed that limiting the duration of the injunction indicated that the lower court treated the case like a noncompete case with a noncompete remedy, rather than a trade secret case with a trade secret misappropriation remedy (which should last as long as the trade secret remains secret). And, note above the different reached in Michigan (where such an injunction was affirmed on appeal).

Oklahoma: [UPDATE] On February 6, I came across a Q&A on Oklahoma noncompete law, which provides a nice summary for anyone interested. Here is the link.

Virginia: Many states have, in the past few years, been reexamining their noncompete laws (some making it harder to enforce noncompetes, and some making it easier). Virginia is the latest to enter the fray. The legislature has proposed what amounts to a ban on employee noncompetes, which, if passed, would put Virginia in the company of California, Oklahoma (see above), and North Dakota. A draft of the legislation is available here. As summarized in the bill tracking website: “[The bill] [m]akes unlawful any contract that serves to restrict an employee or former employee from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business of any kind. Exceptions are created for persons selling a business, former partners in a partnership, and former members in a limited liability company, who agree to refrain from carrying on a similar business within a specified geographic area in which the original entity carries on business.”

Virginia: In what would seem contrary to the legislative initiative, the Supreme Court of Virginia held in Colello v. Graphic Services, Inc. (January 13, 2012) that a plaintiff need not prove competition in order to protect its trade secrets.

Arbitration and Damages: Last November, Seagate obtained a $630 million arbitration award of sanctions (one of the largest such awards ever) against Western Digital. Western Digital is now challenging that award. See here. Stay tuned. And, for other large recent trade secret damage awards read ALM reporter, Jan Wolfe’s post, Rounding Up the 10 Biggest IP Litigation Wins of 2011, and Bloomberg’s article, DuPont Trade-Secret Award Helps Drive 2011 Record Verdict Growth.

Trade Secrets at the Intersection with Public Records: An issue that occasionally comes up is the public’s right of access (under FOIA and state public records acts) to filings that might contain confidential information that businesses were required to file with the government. These issues are not limited to filings in the United States. Case in point: Canada’s Supreme Court has just provided additional clarity around the relationship between right of access to government records and trade secrets filed with the Canadian government. See Top court rules against Merk in trade secrets case.

Trade Secrets on the Internet: As I am behind in writing about the Eagle v. Morgan, Case No. 11-4303 (E.D. Pa., Dec. 22, 2011) case (the latest case to address trade secrets on the Internet), I am referring you to John Marsh’s excellent coverage of the case (in context with the other cases that preceded it): LinkedIn and Twitter: Who Owns the Account, the Employer or Employee?

Criminal Cases:

Related Items of Interest:
  • For those inclined to the more academic side of things, a recent article by Villanova University School of Law Associate Professor Michael Risch, An Empirical Look at Trade Secrets Law’s Shift from Common to Statutory Law, discusses the evolution and status of courts’ reliance on the Restatement of Torts, the Restatement (Third) of Unfair Competition, and the Uniform Trade Secrets Act in deciding trade secrets cases.
  • On the lighter side: Womble Carlyle’s Trade Secret Blog argues that MTV has – well, had – a trade secret in New Jersey Shore actor Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s appearance without all the makeup, likening it to when KISS revealed their unmade-up faces. See here.
  • Please note that I occasionally add (and remove) links to on the right side. The links are to blogs and other websites that I think might be of interest to my readers. In that vein, I just added a link to Brooklyn Law School’s Trade Secrets Institute, which I think is outstanding. It’s worth a look for anyone interested in the law of trade secrets.
  • And, if all of this was not enough for you, you can find some additional reading in John Marsh’s excellent “Thursday Wrap-Up” from this past week.

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