FTC Noncompete Ban Blocked By Federal Court

The FTC Rule

On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved the Final Rule banning most noncompete agreements as an unfair method of competition in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act. The Final Rule's definition of noncompete is broad and includes any term or condition that in any way impacts the ability of a worker to seek or accept employment with another business or to operate their own business after the working relationship ends. It also extends beyond traditional employees to include independent contractors, volunteers, and externs or interns. The Final Rule would exclude pre-existing noncompetes with "senior executives," defined as employees who are in "policy-making" positions and earn more than $151,164 per year. All other pre-existing noncompetes would have become void as of the effective date of the Final Rule on Sept. 4, 2024, and even future noncompetes with "senior executives" would have been prohibited following the effective date of the Final Rule. Additionally, employers would have been required to provide current and past workers who previously entered into a noncompete written notice that they would not be enforcing the noncompetes.