A recent noncompete case from Minnesota offers a cautionary tale for employers and cause for celebration for employees.
The case, Safety Center, Inc. v. Stier, (11/6/17), involved an employer that ran a treatment center for special-needs sex offenders. The employer sought to enforce its noncompete agreement against a former program director (Stier).
The noncompete
Amendments to the Michigan Business Court S
tatute go into effect today, October 11, 2017. These amendments primarily focus on clarifying the cases that are to be assigned to business courts.
Also, the statute was amended to clarify a Business Court’s jurisdiction to hear business disputes involving equitable or declaratory relief. The amendment now clarifies
Last week, ESPN laid off 100 employees. This included well-known SportsCenter anchors and popular writers who are subject to noncompete restrictions. A lot of ink has been spilled about the causes for these layoffs. See, for example,
A lot of ink has been spilled about the causes for these layoffs. See, for example, ESPN is
Earlier this month a federal district court judge entered a temporary restraining order (TRO) against a former Panera executive and his new employer, Papa Johns. The TRO arose out of a lawsuit to enforce the former Panera executive’s non-compete agreement. That agreement restricted him from competing against Panera for one year after his employment ended.
Using a broad brush to draft noncompete agreements that are applied universally to a company’s workforce is increasingly coming under fire. And this exposes companies to unnecessary litigation risks, as well as legal fees associated with enforcement costs.
A recent example of involves Law360 and its settlement with the New
The Illinois Attorney General sued Jimmy John’s over the use of its noncompete restrictions on June 8, 2016. The suit alleges that Jimmy John’s is violating state law by requiring its sandwich makers and delivery drivers (i.e. low-wage workers) to sign restrictive noncompetition agreements.
A copy of the lawsuit may be found here (Illinois
The Wall Street Journal, by Aruna Viswanatha, recently asked whether Noncompete Agreements Hobble Junior Employees. Spoiler alert — they do. According to the Journal:
Noncompete agreements—common in computing and engineering jobs, where proprietary technology can be at stake—are spreading to other industries and stretching further down the corporate ladder. Labor-law experts say some
Texting as a reckless activity is well-documented when it comes to driving. It is also noted as an increasing health hazard for “petextrians” (pedestrians who are texting, clever huh?) according to Ben Zimmer of the Wall Street Journal in his article “What Do You Call a Reckless Texter?”
But can it be “reckless”
In noncompete lawsuits, whether a preliminary injunction should be issued is a critical battle that in large part determines the direction of the lawsuit. For this reason, a recent decision denying a former employer’s motion for injunctive relief in a non-compete enforcement action provides critical insight for companies and individuals.
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to take in an oral argument on a motion to dismiss filed in a non-compete lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court’s business court (yes, this is what I do in my free time and yes I’m a nerd when it comes noncompete law). The argument was heard