BYU Law recently held its inaugural Law, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Summit. The Law School partnered with the City of Provo in organizing the event. The summit brought successful entrepreneurs, government officials, principals of venture capital funds, and legislators together to discuss the business and legal climate for entrepreneurship and innovation in Utah. Also participating in the summit were professors at the BYU Law School and entrepreneurship leaders at the BYU Marriott School and the UVU Woodbury School of Business.
The summit was structured as a group discussion of the use and enforcement of non-competition covenants in Utah. The focus of the discussion was the perceived impact non-competition covenants has on innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, and the protection of intellectual property and other company assets. The structure allowed for a dialogue among business leaders, others with practical expertise, regulatory officials, and academic experts, with an aim to identify policies that promote freedom on contract, a fair and dynamic labor market, and real world challenges to the protection of intellectual property.