the law firm
Trade Secrets Food Fight Spotlights Importance of Comprehensive Agreements
A judge in the Northern District of Texas recently declined to dismiss a lawsuit, CiCi Enterprises LP et al. v. Mucho Pizza, LLC et al., alleging a pizza franchisee failed to maintain the confidentiality of Texas pizza chain CiCi Enterprises LP’s trade secrets after two affiliates inked a development deal with competitor, Papa John’s. This […]
Not All Documents Labeled Confidential Actually Are: Texas Jury Finds $23M Trade Secret Case Was Brought in Bad Faith | Seyfarth Shaw
On May 31, 2023, a Harris County Texas District Court jury found a telecom company acted in bad faith by filing a $23 million trade secret misappropriation lawsuit against a rival where the underlying technology was found to not actually be a trade secret. Background & Analysis In February 2019, Telecom firm Teligistics, Inc. (“Teligistics”) […]
NLRB Finds Its First Noncompete Target—and Its Charges Go Well Beyond an “Overbroad” Noncompete
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has found its first target under recent guidance issued in a memo from its General Counsel claiming that noncompete agreements may violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). According to Bloomberg Law, “[t]the NLRB’s first enforcement action against an employer’s noncompete agreement targeted a Michigan cannabis processor and ended […]
Maine and Iowa Enact Job-Specific Limitations on Noncompetites
The two states recently have enacted restrictions on noncompete agreements being used in certain professions. In Maine, on June 1, 2023, the Governor signed into law LD 688/HP 457, entitled “An Act to Protect Access to Veterinary Care by Prohibiting Noncompete Agreements.” The act amends Maine Revised Statute title 26, § 599-A, which already prohibits […]