Employee Non-Compete Agreements: Protecting Innovation or Stifling It? June 19, 2008

(RSVP required)

Employee Non-Compete Agreements: Protecting Innovation or Stifling It?

A Discussion Hosted by the Berkman Center and Spark Capital; Sponsored by Gunderson Dettmer and Silicon Valley Bank
Thursday, June 19th from 3:00-7:00PM

The use of employee non-compete agreements by Massachusetts companies is routine, with employers mandating that employees steer clear of any business of a competitive nature once they leave their present jobs, typically for a year or more. Many believe these agreements are critical to guarding a company’s hard-earned intellectual property — protecting legitimate business interests, and thus our region’s economy. Others, however, believe that non-competes are nothing more than handcuffs that prevent talented entrepreneurs from bringing new innovations to market and, in some cases, even driving entrepreneurs to leave the region to pursue their innovations elsewhere. In this session, we’ll bring together some of the area’s best known venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and executives to explore the issue of non-competes and weigh the pros and cons of their use here in the Commonwealth. Are non-competes protecting innovation and economic growth in Massachusetts? Or stifling it?

Panelists will include:

* Jeremy Allaire, founder & CEO, Brightcove
* Melanie Haratunian, general counsel, Akamai
* Paul Maeder, general partner, Highland Capital Partners
* Lee Fleming, associate professor of business administration, Harvard University
* Bijan Sabet, general partner, Spark Capital
* Moderator: John Palfrey, Clinical Professor of Law and Executive Director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School

Join us on Thursday, June 19th from 3-7PM in the Ames Courtroom at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Mass. The panel will be followed by a cocktail reception.

RSVP required by 6/12: Please email your name, title and company to Amar Ashar at the Berkman Center: ashar [at] cyber.law.harvard.edu