Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly‘s Editorial Advisory Board calls the noncompete bill pending in the MA legislature “a step in the right direction.” (As the lead drafter and advisor on the bill, I have covered it extensively throughout this blog and elsewhere; for a summary of the bill, see Massachusetts Noncompete Bill Refiled; for the latest update, see Report on Massachusetts Legislature’s Hearing on Noncompete Bill.)
The editorial noted that “[i]t is notoriously hard to advise both businesses and employees as to the likely enforceability of a non-compete agreement. The same non-compete may be viewed very differently by different judges.” Accordingly, in noting their support for the bill, the Editorial Advisory Board observed that “[a] bill that provides greater specificity on what elements a non-compete should include in order to be enforced helps everyone and could reduce the amount of litigation resulting from the agreements.”
The Editorial Advisory Board did identify “[o]ne aspect of the bill [that they find] troubling . . . .” Specifically, the Board is concerned about mandatory attorneys’ fees for a victorious employee; the editors would prefer to see discretion left to the judge. That very issue is still being considered by Representative Ehrlich and Representative Brownsberger.
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