FTC to Appeal Florida Court Ruling Freezing Noncompete Rule (1)

The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday it will appeal a Florida federal court’s ruling that temporarily blocked its worker noncompete ban from applying to a real estate firm in The Villages.

The appeal comes about a month after a Texas federal judge, in a separate case, set aside the regulation on a nationwide basis on grounds the FTC lacks powers to enact substantive rules addressing unfair methods of competition. The rule, which sought to eliminate noncompete contracts in employment agreements, was set to go into effect Sept. 4.

The FTC’s Tuesday notice of appeal deals with a different challenge pursued ...