It is well settled in Florida law that “an employee does not violate his duty of loyalty when he merely organizes a corporation during his employment to carry on a rival business after the expiration of his employment.” Fish v. Adams, 401 So.2d 843 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981). Absent a…
Under Florida law, a restrictive covenant is not enforceable “unless it is set forth in a writing signed by the person against whom enforcement is sought.” Fla. Stat. § 542.335(1)(a). So, what happens if the written agreement is lost, destroyed or stolen? Generally, the loss or unintentional destruction of a…
Under Florida law, noncompete agreements signed after July 1996 are governed by Florida Statutes § 542.335. This statute is the basis for court decisions as to whether any non-competition contract can be enforced in the State of Florida. Over the years, court decisions have grappled with two related issues: (1)…
A non-compete covenant in an employment contract prohibits a former employee from competing with his/her former employer for a specified term after termination of employment. If the worker continues to work for the employer in a status other than an “employee”, then the starting point for the non-compete period may…
Under Florida law, a restrictive covenant is not enforceable “unless it is set forth in a writing signed by the person against whom enforcement is sought.” Fla. Stat. § 542.335(1)(a). By this general rule, injunctions to enforce non-compete provisions are primarily entered against the parties to the contract. However, Florida…
A non-competition provision in an employment contract prohibits an employee from competing with his/her employer for a specified term after termination of the agreement. However, if that employee stays on with the employer on an at-will basis after the term of the written agreement expires, then the agreement does not…
The use of non-compete covenants by employers to protect business interests is not an uncommon practice. The validity of these covenants is governed by Florida Statute 542.335, which requires: “the employer to plead and prove (1) the existence of one or more legitimate business interests justifying the restrictive covenant and…
Many employment agreements contain covenants not to compete to protect employers from employees competing against them when the employment ends. If the employer seeks to enforce this covenant, it must prove, among other things, that it will suffer irreparable harm if the covenant is not enforced. This irreparable harm is…
If an employer can successfully meet their burden and establish the necessary elements for a valid non-compete agreement, the court will likely grant an injunction to protect the employer’s legitimate business interests. The injunction will only be granted if it is determined that the former employee breached the valid non-compete…
Non-compete agreements serve to protect an employer’s business interests and prevent employees from engaging in unfair competition. When a business sells its assets, merges with another company, or dissolves entirely, the ability to assign a non-compete agreement is affected differently. Peter Mavrick is a Fort Lauderdale non-compete lawyer who has…