How Fresh Legal Perspective Can Help

Remember the story of the Three Little Pigs? There are Big Bad Wolves just waiting to huff and puff until they blow your business down, and they may succeed if you do not have the proper materials to protect your business’s internal structure. Non-compete agreements are one of the integral pieces of structure that will protect your hard-earned client relationships, specialized training, trade secrets, and company goodwill. The protections offered in non-compete agreements become especially powerful when purchasing a business, when engaging independent contractors, and when hiring employees.


What if you have signed a non-compete agreement? Do you feel like one of the three little pigs, trapped in a house, unsure if you and your activities are safe and outside the scope of the restrictions in the non-compete agreement? Don’t despair. An experienced business attorney can review the non-compete provisions, assess if they are reasonable restrictions that comply with Florida law, and provide the advice you need to make the decisions you want to pursue your dreams.


Whether you are an individual or business, Fresh Legal Perspective can help you when you need a non-compete agreement drafted, negotiated, enforced, or defended. Schedule a consultation today to protect yourself and your business.


What Restrictions Can Normally Be In a Non-Compete Clause?

Florida law allows non-compete clauses to include restraints on certain elements such as:

  • Company trade secrets;
  • Valuable confidential business or professional information (other than trade secrets) that the company maintains;
  • Certain relationships the company sustains with prospective or existing clients;
  • Client goodwill pertaining to factors such as restrictions on geographic locations and marketing or trade areas the company has developed; and
  • Specialized training delivered by the company.

These restrictions must be reasonable. Any restrictions that are attempting to be enforced must be to protect a legitimate business interest and must not be too broad or overly burdensome in geographic location or time period.


What is a Non-Compete Clause in an Employee Agreement?

Florida law allows employers in certain instances to restrict employees and former-employees from competing in the same business through non-compete clauses that may be incorporated into employee agreements. These clauses may deny the employee from using client lists of the current employer if the employee decides to leave the employer and start his or her own company, or they may restrict the employee from starting a similar business in the same area for a period of a few years.


This portion of the site is for informational purposes only. The content is not legal advice.