Joshua A. Hawks-Ladds Quoted in Providence Business News on FTC's Proposal to Ban Noncompetes

Joshua A. Hawks-Ladds, co-chair of Pullman & Comley's Labor, Employment Law and Employee Benefits practice, was quoted in a Providence Business Journal article discussing the Federal Trade Commission's proposal to ban noncompete agreements.

The proposed rule would also invalidate noncompete agreements that have already been signed. The federal agency claims that this ban will help employers by allowing workers to move from job to job, but businesses may feel that the benefit does not outweigh the risks of potential exposure to trade secrets, losing cultivated customer lists, and more when an employee leaves.

The proposal still needs to undergo public hearings, economic analysis and congressional review before a final decision is made. “I never like to predict what will happen, but I am suspicious this rule will ever see the light of day,” Josh said. “My opinion is that the FTC will modify the rule so it’s not so sweeping in scope.”

To read the full article, please visit the Providence Business News website.