Employers often require that employees sign, as a condition of their employment, an agreement not to compete with their employers for some period of time after their employment ends. Whether such an agreement is enforceable depends on a number of factors, such as the duration of the prohibition, its geographical scope, and whether the employee received adequate compensation for the agreement. There are significant differences among the laws of the various states as to how the enforceability of non-competition agreement is determined. The attorneys at Hurwitz, Sagarin, Slossberg & Knuff, LLC have significant experience in representing employers seeking to enforce non-competition agreements and representing employers against whom former employers seek to enforce them.
Matters concerning the enforcement of non-competition agreements or covenants to compete in which the attorneys at HSSK have been involved include:
- Represented WTNH, the ABC television affiliate in New Haven in successful action to enforce non-compete of leading news anchor, Al Terzi, in connection with his move to the competing CBS affiliate in Connecticut.
- Represented major national insurance brokerage firm in successful action to enjoin former employee from violating noncompete agreement. See Alexander & Alexander of Connecticut, Inc. v. Cronin, 1996 WL 409227 (Conn. Super. Ct. June 27, 1996).
- Counsel for Connecticut manufacturing company in drafting noncompetition agreements for key employees.
- Represented guarantor on $345 million loan obligation against lending institution efforts to enforce personal guarantee.
- Represented Danish wine distributor in action for breach of supply contract.
- Represented Swiss vodka producer in action for breach of distribution contract.
