Stryker Beats Smith & Nephew Noncompete Order in Suit Over Reps

A federal court in Tennessee dissolved a temporary restraining order barring two former Smith & Nephew Inc. sales representatives from serving hospitals and medical facilities that are the company’s customers for competitor Stryker Sales LLC.

Two weeks after the National Labor Relations Board’s top lawyer said noncompetes violate federal labor law except in limited circumstances, the US District Court for the Western District of Tennessee affirmed that such agreements are disfavored in the state. The court held that it’s unlikely that Smith & Nephew’s noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements with Connor Hopkins and Christian Slater intended for “customer” to include ...