The World Cup of Non-Competes

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Can you imagine if FIFA allowed or enforced non-compete agreements that limited the ability of a player to hold dual citizenship and play for either country?  Would the World Cup have suffered if brothers representing Ghana and Germany had to choose allegiance to only one nation rather than play against one another as respectful opponents?  For that matter, would the United States have survived the “Group of Death” and advanced to the knockout round if not for the array of talented “American” players who grew up in Germany, speaking German.  Whether or not the inclusion of these players aided America’s unquestionable success in this worldwide soccer feast (in case you’ve somehow avoided the news media for the last month, the answer is that “yes, these players were incredible assets for the US team”), you cannot deny that without the ability to utilize the best available talent, it’s difficult to put the best team on the field.

Which brings us to non-compete agreements in Florida.  If you follow this blog, then you already know that Florida law specifically allows employers and employees to enter non-competition agreements under circumstances set forth in Florida’s statutes.  As we’ve discussed many times, the more significant the employee is to the continued operational success of the business she intends to leave, the more restrictive a covenant not to compete she can expect. To continue the sports analogies, it’s a little bit like a no-trade clause in the contract of a professional athlete.  An athlete can leave a team at any time.  It’s just that the athlete cannot leave one team at his/her whim and join a competitor unless the contract allows it.

On the other hand, just like in professional sports, sometimes it’s better to renegotiate a contract than to fight over whether or not an employee is able to leave when an alternate opportunity calls.  In a recent matter, for instance, we represented a corporation that had hired an employee allegedly subject to non-compete agreement.  Our client testified under oath that it was completely unaware of the alleged non-compete agreement at the time of the hiring and terminated the new salesman almost immediately after the former employer filed the lawsuit (which was the first notice of the existence of the alleged non-compete agreement).  Despite the almost-immediate termination, the plaintiff continued the lawsuit against my client.  Instead of seeking an injunction, the lawsuit focused on alleged violation of trade secrets the short-term employee allegedly transferred.  After the parties endured a year of litigation, the matter settled.  Both parties might now agree that reaching an agreement earlier might have saved everyone involved significant time and resources.

Brazil hosted a splendid World Cup.  Its team advanced to the semi-finals until it ran into an indomitable German squad playing at its peak.  As an American soccer fan, it’s nice to know that as long as the rules remain the same, America’s team can benefit from the training some of our best players received in Germany.  As sports professionals, many of those players will join new teams, usually after the transferee team pays a considerable fee.  In the landscape of Florida non-compete agreements, things aren’t always as clear-cut.  When you’re faced with a non-compete question that can affect your business, be sure to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in that area of the law. 

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

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