On August 13, 2021, Governor Pritzker signed into law amendments to the Illinois Freedom to Work Act, which impose significant restrictions on non-competition and non-solicitation employment agreements starting January 1, 2022.

Chicago Lawyer has selected Brianna L. Golan to be listed as one of the 40 Under Forty attorneys in 2021.

2020 was a difficult year. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the economy across all industries, especially real estate. As the lockdown extended well beyond initial expectations, commercial lending became virtually impossible to obtain given the instability of the market and lack of forecast ability. As a result, we saw a number of commercial real estate deals delayed indefinitely and eventually terminated. On the leasing side, we had tenants defaulting on their leases and asserting force majeure as a means of temporary rent relief. But, as 2020 dragged on and we learned to navigate the unprecedented time, we finally started to see a light at the end of the tunnel as we moved into 2021.

In June 2021, the Illinois House of Representatives and Illinois Senate unanimously voted to amend the Illinois Freedom to Work Act to impose significant restrictions on non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. Governor Pritzker is expected to sign the bill into law and, if so, this amendment will be effective January 1, 2022.

As employers continue to cope with the fallout from the pandemic, new considerations need to be made for employees as return-to-work plans and their manifold implications lie just around the corner.