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FTC’s Scrutiny of Non-Compete Agreements Provides Key Lessons for Businesses
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August 3, 2026
FTC’s Scrutiny of Non-Compete Agreements Provides Key Lessons for Businesses
By: Jordan Briggs
Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced it finalized a consent order with pest control company Rollins, Inc. that requires Rollins to stop enforcing its existing non-compete agreements with over 18,000 employees.[1] This consent order signals that although the FTC stopped pursuing an outright ban on employee non-compete agreements,[2] the agency is still poised to limit the anticompetitive effects of these non-competes. The Rollins Complaint gives insight into certain common non-compete pitfalls to avoid. Non-compete agreements are a relatively common tool used by companies in specialized industries to minimize the harm to the company if an employee joins a competitor. These agreements allow the company to restrict an employee’s ability to work for or start a competing business after leaving…
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Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
July 15, 2026
Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
By: Nicole Kardell
Note the below chart was updated on July 15, 2026 to reflect recent developments. The number of U.S. states that have adopted privacy laws grows regularly. Fortunately, there seems to be quite a bit of crossover, at least when it comes to thresholds that companies must meet in order to trigger compliance requirements. We provide below a chart that summarizes these thresholds by state, including…
From Paper to Blockchain: How Tokenized Collateral Could Transform Finance
July 1, 2026
From Paper to Blockchain: How Tokenized Collateral Could Transform Finance
By: John Mikuta
Our financial system is on the verge of a groundbreaking transformation that could rival the shift from film to digital photography. Just as smartphones made it instantaneous to capture and share pictures, blockchain-based tokenization of traditional assets could make financial transactions just as seamless. Even though we are now over a quarter of the way through the 21st century, today’s financial infrastructure hasn’t caught up…
‘Get-Rich-Quick’ Systems Penalized by FTC to Tune of $478 Million
September 24, 2012
‘Get-Rich-Quick’ Systems Penalized by FTC to Tune of $478 Million
By: Ifrah Law
As part of the Federal Trade Commission’s ongoing efforts to shut down scams that target financially vulnerable consumers, a U.S. district judge has issued a $478 million judgment at the request of the FTC against the marketers of three get-rich-quick systems that the agency says are used for deceiving consumers. The order is the largest litigated judgment ever obtained by the FTC. The judgment was…
Cybersecurity a Desirable Goal, but Does Obama Proposal Go Too Far?
August 28, 2012
Cybersecurity a Desirable Goal, but Does Obama Proposal Go Too Far?
By: Steven Eichorn
In the past couple of years, a wide variety of computer viruses and other malware have allegedly been used by one nation against another. This secretive form of warfare even briefly plastered names like Stuxnet, Duqu, Flame, and Gauss across the front pages. In partial response to the threat posed to U.S. interests by hostile foreign countries and/or individuals, different cybersecurity bills are percolating through…
With $22.5 Million Google Settlement, FTC Sends a Clear Message
August 20, 2012
With $22.5 Million Google Settlement, FTC Sends a Clear Message
By: Michelle Cohen
On August 9, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission announced that Google has agreed to pay a $22.5 million penalty to settle the FTC’s charges that it violated a consent order regarding consumer privacy. This is the largest civil penalty that the FTC has ever exacted for a violation of one of the agency’s orders, and it has understandably garnered a great deal of attention. Specifically,…
Employers: Don’t Ask Job Applicants for Their Passwords (at Least in Illinois)
August 8, 2012
Employers: Don’t Ask Job Applicants for Their Passwords (at Least in Illinois)
By: Michelle Cohen
On August 1, 2012, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill into law (HB 3782) that prohibits employers from requesting or requiring employees or prospective employees to provide their Facebook or other social networking website passwords. With the new law, effective on January 1, 2013, Illinois becomes the second state (Maryland was the first) to bar employers from seeking social network passwords. Employers are still…
‘Your Baby Can Read,’ Targeted for Dubious Ads, Closes Its Doors
July 25, 2012
‘Your Baby Can Read,’ Targeted for Dubious Ads, Closes Its Doors
By: Ifrah Law
After nearly a decade of persuading hundreds of thousands of parents that their babies were geniuses, the popular company, Your Baby Can Read, is shutting its doors. Its demise is the result of an FTC investigation prompted by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood advocacy group, which challenged claims by the company that newborns have the ability to absorb reading and spelling skills when they…
