On far too many levels, Tom Brady is a star. “Deflategate” or not. Whether he actively participated in deflategate, passively participated in deflategate, or did not at all participate in deflategate, Tom Brady is a star. He belongs in the Hall of Fame. The committee no-doubt will vote him into the Hall of Fame at his earliest eligibility. He’s earned it.
Brady is competitive. No one questions that Brady’s competitive drive is one of the many keys to his continued success and longevity. Indeed, the well-known fact that Brady is competitive has caused many pundits to presume that he was either actually aware of the deflated footballs or was simply experienced enough to greatly suspect something was awry. Competition drives athletes.
Competition also drives successful businesses.
Free trade, in theory, increases competition. Competition forces innovation, higher productivity, better quality, lower prices or some combination of these elements to allow the marketplace to provide suitable options for everyone. Americans embrace competition. Americans reward competition. Our legal system is intentionally set up as an “adversary system” that demands competition.
Florida law recognizes this.
Florida law also recognizes an individual’s freedom to enter into contracts. When it comes to employment, Florida is called “at-will”. That means, essentially, that as long as you don’t violate Florida or federal discrimination laws (or the company’s internal employment rules or agreements), an employer can terminate an employee at any time, for any lawful reason. As anyone familiar with this blog also knows, Florida law also allows “valid restraints of trade” with regard to employment under certain circumstances found among Florida’s anti-trust statutes. The more common phrases for these valid restraints of trade are non-competition agreements or non-compete agreements. In Florida it is lawful for an employer to have the employee enter into a non-compete agreement as a condition of employment. Even a long-term employee can lose her or his job if the employer demands the execution of a non-compete agreement and the employee refuses to enter one. These Florida statutes neither apply to everyone, nor do these statutes apply equally. Florida law distinguishes among employees, allowing longer periods of non-competition for upper level management. As you might expect, Florida law also mandates that the restraint from future employment is reasonably intended to protect the employer’s legitimate ongoing business interests. Because Florida courts generally favor competition over restraints of trade, all Florida non-compete agreements are strictly construed. As a result, it’s critical to involve an experienced attorney when drafting or reviewing a non-compete agreement.
Tom Brady is one seriously competitive quarterback. Nearly every team in the NFL would substantially improve with Tom Brady under center. What if you’re the best at your position? What if you’re the Tom Brady of your profession? What if your competitive nature resulted in your success beyond even your employer’s wildest dreams? Does Florida law allow an exception? Yes and no. Lawyers are not subject to Florida’s restraint of trade statutes. (Go figure.) However Florida’s “valid restraint of trade” laws apply to doctors and nearly all other employees.
Brady is exceptional in many ways. Fortunately for football fans, deflategate suspension or not, Brady’s competitive spirit remains unrestrained.
