Non-competition: Trade secrets

Articles (42)

Trade Secrets Overview
A trade secret is information that is not known to the public, that its owner takes steps to keep from public knowledge and that has value because it is not known to the public. The owners of trade se... applies to All States

California Non-competition Law
At one time California courts enforced contractual restraints on competition as long as they were reasonably imposed. However, in 1872 California adopted a public policy favoring open competition and ... applies to California

Indiana Non-competition Law
Indiana courts disfavor covenants not to compete, which they view as in restraint of trade. Harvest Ins. Agency, Inc. v. Inter-Ocean Ins. Co. 492 N.E.2d 686 (Ind. 1986). Indiana courts strictly constr... applies to Indiana

Non-competition Agreements in Ohio - History and Law
History of non-competition agreements in Ohio As in other states, Ohio courts at one time viewed noncompetition agreements with some skepticism. Agreements in restraint of trade, including noncompetit... applies to Ohio

Florida's Statutory History for Non-Compete Agreements
Florida law governing non-compete agreements has gone through three major variations since 1953. The enforceability of a covenant not to compete under Florida law is governed by the law in effect at t... applies to Florida

Tortious Interference Involving Non-Competition Agreements
In most states, a third party cannot interfere with the contractual or prospective business relationships between two other parties, absent a proper purpose. This claim is known as “tortious interfe... applies to All States

Injunctions Barring Enforcement of Invalid Non-competes
Employers who enforce non-competition agreements have long sought temporary restraining orders (TROs) and preliminary injunctions to bar employees from violating valid non-competition agreements. Cour... applies to All States

Preliminary Injunctions in Non-competition Cases
A preliminary injunction is a court order, issued at the beginning of a case, which preserves the relative position of the parties while the case is pending. It usually remains in effect until replace... applies to All States

New York Non-competition Law
New York state courts enforce post-employment non-competition agreements under certain circumstances, but their examination of restrictive covenants is rigorous. New York courts adhere to a strict app... applies to New York

Can they enforce my Non-compete if they Fired Me?
Non-competition agreements hit fired employees particularly hard, especially when the employer fires the employee without warning or cause. Non-competes hits fired employees with a second whammy, a ba... applies to All States

Michigan Non-competition Agreement Law
The Michigan Antitrust Reform Act generally prohibits any "contract, combination, or conspiracy between 2 or more persons in restraint of, or to monopolize, trade or commerce." Mich. Comp. Laws § 445... applies to Michigan

Pennsylvania Non-competition agreements
“Non-competition” or “noncompete” agreements are one of a particular kind of contract, termed “restrictive covenants,” under Pennsylvania law. As in most states, noncompetition agreements ... applies to Pennsylvania

Motions to Compel and Protective Orders in Employment Litigation
The Rules of Civil Procedure ("Civil Rules") provide the parties with tools to get the facts that are in the possession of the others. If the others refuse to disclose the facts, provide documents or ... applies to All States

The Role of Contracts in Employment Law
Contracts play a central role in employment law. The most basic employment arrangement, at-will employment, is purely contractual in nature. Floyd v. DuBois Soap Co. (1942), 139 Ohio St. 520, 530-531,... applies to All States

Illinois Non-competition Agreement Law
Illinois courts are reluctant to enforce restrictive covenants and scrutinize them carefully. Nevertheless, Illinois courts will enforce a restrictive covenant if it is ancillary to another transactio... applies to Illinois

Fighting Florida Non-competition agreements
Many Florida employees believe that, just because an employer forced them to sign a non compete agreement or be fired, they are not bound by the non-compete agreement. That is just not true. Continued... applies to Florida

Overview of U.S. Non-competition Agreements
A non-competition agreement, also know as a covenant not to compete, is a promise by an employee not to compete with his or her employer for a specified time, in a particular place or in a particular ... applies to All States

Ohio Physicians and Doctor non-competition agreements
Non-competition agreements are generally disfavored in the medical profession, but they are not per se unenforceable. Ohio Urology, Inc. v. Poll (1991), 72 Ohio App.3d 446, 451; General Med., P.C. v. ... applies to Ohio

Arizona Non-competition Agreement Law
Historically, Arizona courts viewed covenants not to compete unlawful restraints of trade. Eventually, Arizona courts began to enforce ancillary restraints on competition, such as those incident to em... applies to Arizona

Enforcing Non-competition Agreements after the Sale of a Business
If an employer with non-competition agreements sells its business to a new buyer, the buyer does not necessarily acquire the old employer's/seller's rights in its non-competition agreements. The buyer... applies to All States

List of Employment Law FAQs
Non-competition Severance pay Retaliation Sexual harassment Family leave Discrimination Wrongfully accused Overtime Tax Issues in Settlements Healthy Families Act Smoke free workplace Ohio non-compete... applies to All States

Physician non-competition agreements in Michigan
Michigan non-competition agreement law states that an employer may protect an employer's reasonable competitive business interests, but its protection in terms of duration, geographical scope, and the... applies to Michigan

Virginia Non-competition Law
Restrictive covenants are disfavored in Virginia as restraints on trade. Virginia courts will enforce restraints in non-competes only if the restraint is: reasonable in that it is no greater than nece... applies to Virginia

Enforcability of Texas Non-competition Agreements.
To be enforceable under Texas law, a non-compete must be: ancillary to or part of an otherwise enforceable agreement at the time the agreement is made; to the extent it contains limitations as to time... applies to Texas

Help for Non-competition Problems
Non-competition agreements can block promising career paths. Even so, every state enforces them, but within limits. For help solving your non-compete problems, learn the limits. Neil Klingshirn has wr... applies to All States

How to Find and Select Good Employment Lawyers
Good employment lawyers are like good mechanics. They tell you what you need, suggest the best way to get it, are skilled at their craft and present you with a reasonable bill. Good employment lawyers... applies to All States

Defamation by an Employer
An employee may have a claim for defamation where an employer publishes a false statement of fact that harms the employee's reputation, unless the employer had a qualified privilege for making the sta... applies to All States

Rescinding Non-compete Agreements after the Employer's Breach
Some states will not enforce a non-compete clause if the party seeking enforcement previously breached a material provision of the contract containing the covenant not to compete. The breach must be m... applies to All States

Florida Law for Employer Defamation
Suppose an employer accuses its employee of theft, and fires her for that reason. Suppose the employer then tells prospective employers who call for a reference that the employee was terminated for th... applies to Florida

Defamation in the Illinois Workplace
Current and former employees are sometimes targets of false statements made in the workplace. Defamation is a tort action which allows the employee who was wronged (plaintiff) to recover for harm to h... applies to Illinois

How to Hire a Competitor's Employees
Suppose an employee from a competitor applied for an open position with your firm. She did not take any trade secrets from the competitor and will not solicit her the competitor's customers. However, ... applies to All States

Frequently Asked Question about Non-competition Agreements
Mel's Frequently Asked Questions about non-competition agreements provides an overview of non-competition agreements. It reflects law common to most states, with the notable exception of California. F... applies to All States

Florida's Statutory History for Non-Compete Agreements
Non-Compete agreements have gone through three major variations since. Prior to 1953 1953 - 1996 1996 - Present The enforceability of a covenant not to compete under Florida law is governed by the law... applies to Florida

Hudson Job Search presentation on Negotiating Employment Agreements
Last night I had the pleasure of speaking to Hudson Job Search . Hudson Job Search is a non-denominational community Christian organization started in 1982. Its vision is to provide confidential outpl... applies to Ohio

5 Forms of Sexual Harassment You Didn’t Know About
1. Desire does not have to be what fuels the fire Did you know that not all forms of sexual harassment are motivated by a person’s sexual attraction to another? Under particular legislation in C... applies to All States

What to do if you are sexually harassed in the workplace
What happens when sensual pestering becomes a mechanism for instilling fear in a victim? An employee’s fear for their personal safety and/or job security can be stirred when sexual desires of a ... applies to All States

5 Awkward Sexual Harassment Situations at Work
Getting your dream job, let alone a job in general already comes equipped with jumping through hoops and competing with other eager job seekers. Just getting invited to come in for an interview is a m... applies to All States

5 Awkward Sexual Harassment Situations at Work
5 Awkward Sexual Harassment Situations at Work Getting your dream job, let alone a job in general already comes equipped with jumping through hoops and competing with other eager job seekers. Just get... applies to All States

4 Reasons Why the Law Protects Whistleblowers
Before protective laws were enacted through Congress, workers couldn’t feel confident in reporting malfeasance throughout the workplace due to backlash and ostracization by superiors. Those empl... applies to All States

7 Famous Whistle blowers Who Sought Truth and Justice
While most whistleblower cases do not make headlines, some of them do because of the scope of wrongdoing found or the fame of the businesses or people involved. Whistleblower laws protecting people wh... applies to California

Employment Law Topics

Employment Law FAQs

Non-competition: Trade secrets