Compliance Stuff

A Missouri lawmaker just introduced a bill that would invalidate non-compete agreements for licensed physicians if it gets approved by the legislature and is ultimately signed into law . The proposal, sponsored by state Rep. Ian Mackey (D), follows a growing trend among states across the country – as well as recent initiatives by the Federal Trade Commission – to boost post-employment mobility of healthcare providers. In this insight, we’ll cover this broader trend, as well as what’s in Missouri’s new bill and how employers in the state can prepare. Limits on Restrictive Covenants in Healthcare: A Growing Trend Across the US If Missouri enacts  HB 2184 , which was introduced by Rep. Mackey on December 4, the state would join several others that have placed significant constraints on non-compete provisions for medical practitioners. In 2025 alone, Arkansas,  Colorado , Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon,  Texas , and Wyoming all enacted new laws banning or limiting re...

  Background:  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an extremely broad Final Rule banning most non-competes. As expected, there have been multiple court challenges to the Final Rule, but, to date, no court has issued a nationwide injunction preventing the Final Rule from going into effect, as scheduled, on September 4, 2024. Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas has indicated, however, that she intends to issue a decision on the merits on or before August 30, 2024.  The Final Rule includes language requiring that employers provide an individualized notice to each worker subject to a non-compete prohibited under the Final Rule . According to the Final Rule, these notices must state that the employer will not enforce the prohibited non-compete and that it is illegal. With no injunction currently in place, employers need to start assessing whether this notice requirement applies to their contracts so they are ready in the event that Judge Brown decides ...