By H. Clay Parker, Esq. | Published April 30, 2022 | Posted in Business Contracts | Tagged Tags: employment contract, non-compete agreements | Comments Off on Five Ways a Poorly Crafted Non-Compete Agreement Can Fail
A non-compete clause is a contractual agreement that an employee will not compete with the employer’s business during employment or will not work in or start up a competing business for a fixed period of time after leaving the employer. A non-compete agreement can place geographic restrictions on where a former employee can work and Read More
Read MoreMinority shareholders are at a disadvantage when internal corporate disputes arise. In some cases, these shareholders are entitled to vote on certain important decisions, such as changes to the company’s articles of incorporation. But even if they don’t have such rights, they are owed certain duties that need to be respected and, if necessary, enforced Read More
Read MoreCompetition among businesses can be healthy, but not when one company tries to undermine another’s contracts or business relationships. If you find your business has been injured by such tactics, you may be able to bring a lawsuit seeking damages for tortious interference. Plaintiffs suing for tortious interference in Florida must prove these four elements Read More
Read MoreIf someone sues you or your business for breach of contract, your response can go beyond simply denying the plaintiff’s claims against you. You also can assert what are known as affirmative defenses. These are essentially reasons why your actions were permissible and why the plaintiff should not prevail. They are called affirmative defenses because Read More
Read MoreOperating a business always carries the risk of running into legal problems, and they don’t always involve outsiders. Disputes can arise among co-owners and/or executives and managers, which can threaten or cause harm to the business just as much as outside forces. It is vital to timely detect potential problems that could be seeds of Read More
Read MoreThe legal doctrine of caveat emptor — “let the buyer beware” — means that buyers are responsible for inspecting the quality and condition of property prior to purchase. If they fail to do so, they usually cannot hold the seller liable for any defects, even those that the seller did not disclose. Although Florida law Read More
Read MoreBusinesses have a legitimate need to protect their trade secrets and intellectual property. An effective way to do that is to require employees and independent contractors to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA), forbidding the sharing of confidential information with competitors. While NDAs are generally legal in Florida, courts tend to scrutinize them carefully and will Read More
Read MoreProtecting Your Business’s Reputation During Litigation In today’s world of 24-hour global news and non-stop social media, a business embroiled in a lawsuit can suffer reputational damage that may be as costly as the litigation itself. Information divulged in court papers, at trial or in out-of-court statements can be repeated, exaggerated and misinterpreted, injuring the Read More
Read MoreLiquidated damages are dollar amounts that parties to a contract agree will be paid in the event of a breach. Setting a fixed amount can be preferable to proving actual damages that might be difficult to ascertain when a breach occurs. Florida courts generally recognize the validity of liquidated damages clauses. However, in order to Read More
Read More