Does Bird’s Eye View Render Executive Non-Compete Unenforceable?

November 7, 2012 by

So here’s a good one for employers to ponder.  Let’s say you have an executive subject to a valid and seemingly enforceable non-compete agreement.  Because the agreement concerns an executive, we would normally presume that a court is likely to strictly read the terms of a non-compete agreement and enforce it accordingly.  Well, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed a decision that an executive whose level of seniority limited his knowledge of the details rendered him not subject to the terms of his otherwise-valid non-compete agreement.

In the typical case, an employee with specific knowledge – let’s use the example of an engineer – enters into a non-compete agreement that states, for instance, that he will not work for a competitor within the same geographic area of his current job responsibilities for one year after his departure, regardless of the reason for his departure.  If the agreement is otherwise enforceable, a Florida court would typically view the above-described restriction as valid.  After all, the engineer has specific knowledge the details of which could, in theory at least, give a competitor an advantage over the former employer.

Taking this analysis one step further, however, led at least one court to determine that the senior executive was so far removed from the mundane specifics of the actual work product, he was actually no longer subject to the non-compete agreement he voluntarily executed.  Which brings us to IBM v. Visentin, 2011 WL 672025 (SDNY 2011), aff’d 437 Fed Appx 53 (2d Cir. 2011).  I’ll keep the facts short, although the somewhat unique nature of the facts obviously resulted in a seemingly unexpected opinion.  Visentin worked at IBM, very successfully, for over a quarter of a century.  So successfully, in fact, that at the time he departed IBM for competitor Hewlett Packard he was in charge of a multi-billion dollar business unit.  He had executed a non-compete with a one year work restriction that on its face appeared to encompass his prospective employment with Hewlett Packard.  The agreement Visentin executed included a relatively standard three-year look-back stating that the agreement only pertained to those areas of IBM’s business in which Visentin worked in the three years prior to his departure.

When Visentin left, IBM sued, seeking injunctive relief based on Visentin’s alleged violation of the non-compete described above.  The federal district court denied the motion for a preliminary injunction.  (In cases to enforce non-compete agreements, denial of the preliminary injunction usually ends the dispute… unless the former employer appeals.)  IBM appealed, only to have the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal affirm the lower court’s ruling.

While the denial of the preliminary injunction motion in Visentin presents a unique situation due to Visentin’s high level executive position, the district court’s lengthy holding contains some valuable insight in the analysis of non-compete issues.  Among the points raised was that the high level of the former employee’s position allowed him a supervisory capacity (he was a manager of a business line with expertise in making operations “efficient”), and yet insulated him from the specific technological goings-on and to detailed data potentially protected as a trade secret.  So in essence, because he maintained a bird’s-eye view of operations, rather than a position with direct creative input or a position “on the line,” he was insulated from information that would negate his former employer’s presumed competitive advantage.

The district court opinion went even further, at one point discussing that among known competitors with significant resources, the open flow of intelligence in the marketplace rendered the probability of harmful disclosure somewhat remote (if even possible).  Also interesting was the emphasis that success on a motion for preliminary injunction was challenging in the absence of known instances of disclosures of detailed information that clearly violated the non-compete agreement, or detailed information that the employee’s new position would require improper disclosure.  Given the bird’s-eye view Visentin had over the IBM business unit, pointing out specific instances of wrongful disclosures proved difficult.

So where does that leave employers seeking to enforce these agreements?  Certainly in Florida, there a many instances in which the courts uphold these agreements.  What is important to keep in mind, however, is the necessity of providing either enough detail in your non-compete/non-disclosure agreement to make enforcement easier, or to allege with enough specificity the actual information or trade secrets the disclosure of which could cause actual harm.  The case discussed in this article also points out that despite possible factual similarities, each non-compete rests on its own merits and brings to the dispute its own facts.  It is the nature of the information the employer seeks to protect and the factual circumstances surrounding the former employee’s duties and experience that will form the foundation of any successful argument regarding enforcement.

This is the part where I counsel you to get counsel.  Better yet, make sure you get counsel familiar with these issues.

Author Peter C. Vilmos, Esq. works in the Orlando office of Burr & Forman LLP, 407-540-6600.  Contact Peter or any attorney in Burr & Forman’s Non-Compete and Trade Secrets group for more information or for further inquiries.

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Tennessee’s “Rule of Reasonableness” Allows Courts to Modify Non-Compete Agreements

October 18, 2012 by

On August 22, 2012, we reported on the Veit v. Event Logistics, Inc., a case pending in the Davidson County Chancery Court, Docket No. 12-945, in which an employee challenged her employer’s non-compete agreement.  The agreement prohibited the employee for a period of two years from (1) engaging in activities competing with the employer within a 50 mile radius of employer’s office in Nashville; (2) soliciting the employer’s customers with whom the employee had contact while employed by the employer; and (3) soliciting any of employer’s employees to terminate his/her employment.

At the temporary injunction stage of the litigation, the Court did not completely enforce or reject the non-compete agreement.  Rather, the Court modified the agreement to allow the employee to engage in certain activities so she could make a living while offering some level of protection for the employer.  In particular, the Court allowed the employee to engage in the same activities she did with the employer (with a monetary cap), but prohibited her from engaging in those activities with the employer’s clients.

The Court’s modification of the non-compete agreement in Veit is a good example of the “Rule of Reasonableness” Tennessee courts apply to non-compete agreements.  Generally, there are four approaches courts around the country will take in enforcing or rejecting a non-compete agreement.

  1. The court will not enforce the non-compete agreement because non-compete agreements are void as a matter of law.
  2. The court will enforce the non-compete agreement as written.
  3. The court will “blue-pencil” the non-compete.  This means the court will only strike offending provisions from the non-compete agreement, but will not add new provisions or otherwise modify the non-compete agreement.  If the “blue-pencil” approach leaves the non-compete agreement incomprehensible or cannot eliminate the offending provision, the court will reject the agreement all together.
  4. The court will equitably reform the non-compete agreement which can result in rewriting the agreement.  This approach balances between the goals of encouraging a free market place and preventing unfair competition.

Recognizing that the “all or nothing” approach of either enforcing or rejecting a non-compete agreement in its entirety and the “blue-pencil” approach led to undesirable results, Tennessee courts adopted the Rule of Reasonableness (“ROR”).  Under the ROR, Tennessee courts may rewrite the non-compete agreement to balance between the employer and employee’s competing interests.  The ROR is consistent with and is an extension of the rule that the terms of the non-compete agreement, including time and geographical limitations, must be reasonable.  The restrictions of the non-compete agreement must be no greater than necessary to protect the employer’s legitimate business interest.  (For a further discussion on the “reasonableness” requirements, see our May 9, 2012 blog post.)

Applying the ROR, the Court in Veit modified the non-compete agreement to allow the employee to make a living while protecting them employer’s interest in its customer base.  Though Tennessee Courts have the power to modify non-compete agreements, employers should carefully draft their agreements to avoid costly and uncertain litigation.  Though the ROR seeks to strike a balance between the employer and employee’s competing interests, a modified non-compete agreement could result in significant harm to the employer.

If you would like additional information on trade secrets law, please contact one of the Burr & Forman Non-Compete & Trade Secrets team members.

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The Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine — A Glimmer of Hope in the Absence of a Non-Compete Agreement

August 15, 2012 by

In the hilarious movie Dumb and Dumber, the imbecilic and unattractive character played by Jim Carrey is told by the beautiful woman he is pursuing that the chances of them winding up together are about one in a million, to which he excitedly replies, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance!” Similarly, if an employer wants to enjoin a former employee from working for a competitor, but the employee is not under any sort of non-compete agreement with the former employer, has taken no company records and property, and has not revealed any confidential information or trade secrets to the new employer, the inevitable disclosure doctrine of trade secrets law provides the employer with at least a “chance” of getting the desired injunction.

The inevitable disclosure doctrine is used by employers to stop former employees from working for competitors, even in the absence of a non-compete agreement, on the basis that it is inevitable that the employee will use or disclose the former employer’s trade secrets in connection with the new employment. The significance of this theory is that the employer is not required to prove an actual misappropriation of a trade secret, but rather that the disclosure of the trade secret is inevitable based on the nature of the information and the circumstances of the employee’s new position.

As with all trade secret issues, the law on inevitable disclosure varies somewhat from state to state. For instance, California courts have rejected the doctrine as creating a “de facto covenant not to compete”, Bayer Corp. v. Roche Molecular Sys., Inc., 72 F. Supp. 2d 1111, 1120 (N.D. Cal. 1999), and held that the doctrine “cannot be used as a substitute for proving actual or threatened misappropriation of trade secrets.”  Whyte v. Schlage Lock Co., 125 Cal. Rptr. 2d 277, 294 (4th Dist. 2002). The Third Circuit Federal Court of Appeals, however, applied a relatively lenient standard under Pennsylvania law for successfully using the theory, holding that an employer need only show a “substantial likelihood” of disclosure of a trade secret. Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. v. Botticella, 613 F.3d 102,110 (3d Cir. 2010). (For an excellent nationwide survey of the doctrine, see Ryan A. Wiesner, A State-by-State Analysis of Inevitable Disclosure: A Need for Uniformity and a Workable Standard, 16 Intellectual Property L. Rev. 211 (2012)).

The Georgia Supreme Court has recognized the inevitable disclosure doctrine, although not referring to it by name, in the case of Essex Group, Inc. v. Southwire Corp., 269 Ga. 553, 501 S.E. 2d 501 (1998). In that opinion, the court upheld the trial court’s injunction prohibiting Southwire’s former employee from working for Southwire’s direct competitor’s logistics department for a period of five years. As the basis for its ruling, the court concluded that the competitor had “sought to obtain, by the simple act of hiring [Southwire’s former employee], all the logistics information it had taken Southwire millions of dollars and years of testing and modifications to develop as part of Southwire’s plan to acquire a competitive edge over other cable and wire companies ….” Id. at 557. There was neither mention in the opinion of the employee having a non-compete agreement nor any mention of an actual misappropriation by the employee of the alleged trade secret. Instead, the implication of the decision was that disclosure of Southwire’s logistics system was inevitable because of the identity of Southwire and its competitor’s business.

BURR POINT: Even in the absence of an enforceable non-compete agreement, the inevitable disclosure doctrine provides a means for enjoining a former employee’s competitive activities in certain circumstances. For more information on the inevitable disclosure doctrine or how it might apply to your business, don’t hesitate to contact one of the Burr & Forman team members.

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New Hampshire Enacts Non-Compete and Non-Piracy Legislation Effective July 14, 2012

August 1, 2012 by

New Hampshire has joined the ranks of numerous other states with non-compete statutes. On July 14, 2012, New Hampshire’s non-compete and non-piracy law became effective and aims to ensure that advance notice will be provided to employees who will be required to sign a non-compete or non-piracy agreement as a condition of their employment or change in job position:

Prior to or concurrent with making an offer of change in job classification or an offer of employment, every employer shall provide a copy of any non-compete or non-piracy agreement that is part of an employment agreement to the employee or potential employee.  Any contract that is not in compliance with this section shall be void and unenforceable.

Under the new law, an employer is prohibited from sandbagging a new employee by presenting him/her with a non-compete or non-piracy agreement on his/her first day of work after he/she has already accepted the offer, particularly in situations where the employee has quit a job to begin work with the new employer only to learn of the “surprise” agreement at that time.  Now, not only must the employee be informed that a non-compete or non-piracy agreement will be a term of his/her employment should he/she accept an offer, but also the employee must be provided with a copy of the actual agreement itself.  The employee then has an opportunity to review and consider the agreement and the impact thereof, and decide whether to accept the offer and the agreement and if employed, quit his/her current job.  This same analysis applies in the case of an employee who is offered an internal job change (e.g., lateral move, promotion, etc.) which will require him/her to sign a non-compete or non-piracy agreement.

New Hampshire courts will continue to handle “traditional” disputes as to the reasonableness of the geographic scope and duration of non-compete agreements and whether the employer has a legitimate protectable interest.  But, after July 14, those same courts will undoubtedly be asked to decide and handle a variety of debacles arising as a result of the new law and the questions it leaves unanswered, such as whether non-solicitation, non-recruitment, and/or nondisclosure agreements constitute “non-piracy” agreements.  That said, as the penalty for noncompliance with the new law is steep – i.e., invalidation of the entire agreement – employers would be wise to act conservatively and avoid any missteps by ensuring reasonable advance notice is provided, written acknowledgment of the notice is given by the employee, and non-solicitation, non-recruitment, and non-disclosure agreements are treated as non-piracy agreements subject to the new law.

 

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Preparing for a Smack Down: Local Wrestling Company Sues Former Employee and World Wrestling Entertainment for Trade Secrets Violation

June 27, 2012 by

A local professional wrestling promotions company, TNA Entertainment, LLC (“TNA”), has sued former employee, Brian Wittenstein, and direct competitor, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (“WWE”), for unlawfully using TNA’s trade secrets against them in unfair competition.  The case, entitled TNA Entertainment, LLC v. Wittenstein and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., was filed on May 23, 2012 in the Davidson County Chancery Court, Docket No. 12-746-III and alleges that Wittenstein and WWE violated Tennessee’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act.

According to TNA, Wittenstein was terminated from the company on August 3, 2011.  In connection with his separation, Wittenstein entered into a Separation Agreement and General Release (the “Agreement”), which expressly prohibited him from disclosing TNA’s confidential trade secrets, including information about TNA’s contracts with other wrestling talent.

TNA claims that Wittenstein violated the agreement by downloading TNA’s company policies, contractual agreements with other wrestling talent, and detailed information about its wrestling talent (including compensation). TNA then claims that Wittenstein disclosed the gathered information to his new employer, and direct competitor of TNA, WWE.  TNA asserts that WWE’s possession and use of TNA’s confidential trade secrets provide WWE an unfair competitive advantage regarding wrestling talent.

TNA alleges that WWE has used TNA’s confidential trade secrets to solicit wrestling talent currently, under contract with TNA, and encourage them to join WWE.  Wrestler Ric Flair is a recent example of a client that TNA claims attempted to terminate his exclusive contract with them to sign up with WWE.

To date, the court has entered a temporary restraining order, prohibiting WWE from using TNA’s confidential information.  Though this case is relatively new, it is a prime example of how costly unlawful use of trade secrets can be to former employees and new employers.  Under the Tennessee Uniform Trade Secrets Act, the unlawful user of trade secrets can be liable for the plaintiff’s actual loss caused by the misappropriation of trade secrets and any “unjust enrichment.”  In certain cases, the defendant may also be liable for “exemplary damages” resulting in up to twice the award for the plaintiff’s damages and the plaintiff’s attorney fees.

Ultimately, employers should always be aware of and protect themselves against potential liability when hiring an employee who may possess a former employer’s confidential trade secrets. If you need more information on confidential trade secrets and defenses against former employees, please contact any of the Burr & Forman Non-Compete & Trade Secrets team members for assistance.

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“Full Time and Attention” Provisions Provide an Additional Weapon in Non-Compete Cases

June 20, 2012 by

An employer seeking to stop or slow down a former employee who is unfairly competing with business needs to examine every possible legal claim as options to use against the employee. In many cases, the employee spent time laying the groundwork for new employment or business ventures while still employed by the previous employer. These situations present another legal opportunity to employers, in addition to the usual considerations of non-compete, non-solicitation and trade secret violation claims. The employer and its attorney should consider a claim against the former employee based on a common provision in employment contracts: the requirement that the employee devote his “full time and attention” (or similar language) to the employment.

There’s not a lot of case law interpreting these provisions, but the cases that do show that this boilerplate language can potentially provide another arrow in the employer’s quiver. In example:

BURR POINT:  While non-compete claims focus on what an employee did after they left their employment, the employee’s activities prior to their departure could lead to a claim for breaching a contractual duty to devote their “full time and attention” to the former employer’s business.

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Court Ruling Helps Define Factors Used in Trade Secret Classification

May 23, 2012 by

What is an allograph? And why doesn’t a company’s sterilization process violate the trade secrets of another company that allegedly invented and protected the sterilization protocol?  And why, you might ask, do these questions appear on our blog?

First, an allograph is a transplant of tissue from one person to a genetically dissimilar person. To successfully complete this transplant, you must sterilize the human tissue. In April 2012, Florida’s Fifth Circuit of Appeal ruled on a case involving allographs: Duane Duchame, Tai T. Huynh, et al. v. Tissuenet Distribution Services, LLC, et al., 37 Fla. L. Weekly D875a.

This case established several factors that Florida courts now use in determining whether to uphold injunctions enforcing trade secrets. These factors are important when recognizing the undeniable link between success with a trade secret claim and the existence of a valid non-compete agreement.

The court ultimately decided in a reversal of the lower court’s temporary injunction in this sterilization case, based on several things.

  • The chemicals used in the case were well-known in the industry and therefore use of them did not constitute qualities of a trade secret.
  • The former employee who created the sterilization protocol did not use a direct replica of the system for a new employer. Rather, he “used his education, knowledge, skill, and experience” to formulate a protocol for his new employer, indicating it was a new creation instead of a stolen trade secret.
  • And most importantly, if the plaintiff wanted to prevent the departed employee from working for a competitor, then the plaintiff should have issued a non-compete agreement to the former employee—which they did not do.

This case stands demonstrates two propositions that all employers seeking to protect trade secrets should remember.  First, if a trade secret exists, it should be kept secret.  Additionally, verify that it does qualify as a trade secret. If you use industry-known materials and use them in a special or untraditional manner (i.e. the sterilization protocol in this case), make sure you can prove in court that your methods are significantly different enough to classify them as trade secrets, and not merely a variation of a widely-accepted process.

Second, if you have a key employee capable of taking their talents to a competitor which could adversely impact your business, then you should always consider executing a valid non-compete agreement to protect your company.  In the Tissuenet case discussed above, it is impossible to say whether or not a valid non-compete agreement would have justified the plaintiff’s claims, but it is likely that the lack of a valid non-compete agreement caused the fatal blow.  Are trade secret claims and non-compete claims different?  Of course! However, as this example has demonstrated, they are often compatible tools working with sensitive information and skilled employees.

For more information, if you have any questions about trade secrets or non-compete agreements, or if you have an unfair competition issue, please contact any of the Burr & Forman’s Non-Compete & Trade Secrets team members and we will be happy to assist you.

 

Other articles you may be interested in:

What is a Trade Secret?

Key Ingredients for an Effective Non-Compete Agreement

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Results Matter Radio Discussion on Georgia’s New Non-Compete Employment Statute

May 16, 2012 by

Results Matter Radio host Lee Kantor sat down last week with State Representative Wendell Willard and Burr & Forman attorney Chip Collins to discuss the ins and outs of Georgia’s new non-compete employment statute.

Although Georgia has only recently enacted a non-compete statute, it’s not from lack of trying. Rep. Willard, the sponsor of the bill that became the new statute, discussed the difficulty that Georgia has faced trying to codify non-compete standards. Georgia first passed a non-compete statute in 1989, only to have it ruled unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court shortly thereafter.   The state legislature passed another non-compete statute in 2009, which was supposed to become effective upon a majority referendum vote in November 2010 for a constitutional change that would authorize the new statute.   Following the approval of the referendum, however, Collins raised with Rep. Willard some technical concerns that he and other practitioners had with the new statute that potentially exposed it to a legal challenge.  As a result of those concerns, Rep. Willard sponsored what was essentially a re-passage of the statute in the 2011 legislative session, and Gov. Deal signed it into effect on May 11, 2011.  The new statute is codified at OCGA § 13-8-50 and applies to all non-compete agreements signed after May 11, 2011.

Collins and Willard agreed that the new statute dramatically shifts the legal landscape of Georgia’s non-compete law in favor of employers, with perhaps the biggest impact being a Court’s ability under the new statute to “blue-pencil”, or modify,  an overbroad agreement. Under the pre-statute rules, non-compete agreements were often deemed unenforceable by trial courts for being overbroad in scope—either in terms of duration, territory, or restricted activities. Now, however, almost any non-compete is potentially enforceable, at least to a degree deemed reasonable by the court tasked with enforcing it.

As reassuring as the effects of Georgia’s new non-compete law may be for employers, Collins and Rep. Willard give a strong warning to employers that this new statute only applies to non-compete agreements signed after May 11, 2011; the old pro-employee rules still apply to any agreements that pre-date the statute. Thus, if you are an employer who has not had a new agreement drafted and executed by your employees in the last year, they urge you to do so as soon as possible.

For more details, listen to Georgia State Representative Wendell Williard’s and Burr & Forman attorney Chip Collins Jr.’s full broadcast on Results Matter here.

Wendell Willard, State Representative 49th District Georgia House of Representatives, is the co-sponsor of Georgia’s new non-compete employment statute that became effective last year and drastically changed the legal landscape for non-competes. Read more about the Georgia House of Representatives. 

William (Chip) Collins, Jr. is the attorney who heads Burr and Forman’s new non-compete and trade secrets group. He continues to successfully help businesses of all types prevent unfair competition. Read more about Chip and his experience on the Burr & Forman site.

Burr & Forman LLP’s Results Matter Radio brings you pertinent business information and real life solutions to help drive desired results for you – whatever your business may be. Please join us right here every Tuesday 10:00 am Eastern for our LIVE Broadcast, and CLICK HERE to listen to our Archived Shows anytime.

Want more information on non-compete agreements and state legislation? Contact Burr & Forman for more insights on the enforceability of non-compete clauses.

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Non-Compete Clause Unenforceable?

April 18, 2012 by

Florida appellate court strikes down negotiated liquidated damages provision for violation of non-competition clause.

When the courts rule a non-compete clause as unenforceable and they require an evidentiary hearing on the breaching party’s actual damages, it certainly gets some attention. It doesn’t happen very often.

The Florida Third District Court of Appeals recently invalidated the liquidated damages provisions of parties’ duly negotiated non-competition agreement.  In the December 28, 2011 opinion Goldblatt v. C.P. Motion, Inc., (Fla. 3rd DCA 2011), the appellate court examined the parties’ non-competition clauses and liquidated damages sections of a post-dispute settlement agreement. The parties had negotiated an agreement to terminate their business relationship with a termination agreement that included cash payments, debt forgiveness, future indemnification, ownership relinquishment, a five-year restrictive covenant, a non-solicitation agreement and a per breach liquidated damages clause.

In short order, both parties claimed the other breached the agreement, resulting in a lawsuit and cross-motions for summary judgment.  The lower court awarded liquidated damages and entered judgment.  The appellate court reversed the ruling as it pertained to the liquidated damages holding:

●          Because the award per breach was the same regardless of what harm (if any) actually befell the non-breaching party, it was conceivable that the non-breaching party could collect more in liquidated damages than the actual harm suffered.

●          This possibility leads to a potential windfall to the non-breaching party.

●          The appellate court determined that the possibility of a resulting windfall was “unacceptable and unenforceable as it constitutes an award that is disproportionate to the actual harm.”

●          The court concluded that because the actual damages were “readily ascertainable,” the liquidated damages clause constituted a penalty.

Despite the fact that the parties negotiated the liquidated damages clause and agreed to apply the damages to either party equally, the appellate court found the non-compete clause unenforceable and remanded the matter for an evidentiary hearing on the non-breaching party’s actual damages.

Contact Burr Forman for more insights on the enforceability of non-compete clauses.

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