A federal judge in Texas has struck down the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on noncompete agreements in the workplace, a ruling poised to result in a protracted legal battle likely to reach the Supreme Court. The decision was delivered just before the FTC ban was set to be implemented on September 4, thereby maintaining the current status of noncompete clauses. Existing agreements will remain in force unless a federal appeals court reverses Judge Brown’s decision.
Employment lawyer Mark S. Goldstein commented on the ramifications of the ruling, noting, “This means in essence that, unless a federal appeals court reverses Judge Brown’s decision—and we are admittedly only at the end of one phase of the likely three-phase judicial process as appeals are next—the FTC’s noncompete rule will not take effect on Sept. 4.” For more details on the ruling, you can read the [full article](https://www.law.com/2024/08/21/ftcs-ban-on-noncompete-agreements-struck-down-on-the-eve-of-implementation/) on Law.com.