the burden of demonstrating that the Blackwelder factors favor allowing the injunction. Manning v. Hunt, 119 F.3d 254, 265 (4th Cir.1997). A. Balance of Hardships Under the first Blackwelder factor, a plaintiff must make a “clear showing” of actual and immediate irreparable harm. Blackwelder, 550 F.2d at 195; accord Direx, 952 F.2d at 812 (quoting Dan River, Inc. v. Icahn, 701 F.2d 278, 284 (4th Cir.1983)). Loss of permanent relationships with customers and loss of proprietary information have been found to constitute irreparable harm. Multi-Channel, 22 F.3d at 552-53 (affirming district court finding of irreparable harm due to threat of permanent loss of customers and potential loss of goodwill); Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith v. Bradley, 756 F.2d 1048, 1055 (4th Cir.1985) (<HOLDING>); Fed. Leasing, Inc. v. Underwriters at
holding irreparable harm established where defendant faced loss of customers when employee resigned and attempted to take former clients holding that evidence of threatened loss of prospective customers or goodwill supports a finding of irreparable harm holding that the potential loss of valuable business may constitute irreparable harm holding that loss of the opportunity to fairly compete for a contract constitutes irreparable harm holding that loss of customers and resulting injury to goodwill can constitute irreparable harm that is not compensable by an award of money damages