Employment contracts should be fair, reasonable, understandable, and legally enforceable. This is particularly true when it comes to limiting someone’s ability to work, and also protecting trade secrets, confidential information, customer lists, and investments in employee training and recruiting. Often times, non-compete agreements are created to address these important issues involved in the employer-employee relationship.
Non-compete agreements (sometimes referred to as “covenants not to compete” or “restrictive covenants”) commonly result in disputes after the conclusion of an employment relationship, because these agreements prohibit an employee from leaving one job and then engaging in the same type of business for another employer. They typically only last for a specific period of time, and apply to a limited geographic area. Non-competes are common in the IT field or in companies with highly compensated sales reps.
Georgia’s non-compete law recently changed, and the state’s approach to these cases continues to evolve. Whether the new law applies to you depends on several factors, most notably the date on which the agreement was entered into.
In Georgia, a non-compete agreement may be declared unenforceable or invalid for a number of reasons, including:
When dealing with the complex legal issues involves in restrictive covenants, it’s always best to consult with an experience employment attorney who can help you determine:
Remember that the law in this area is changing all the time, especially in Georgia, where courts are still sorting out all the details of the new statute.
If you need help with a non-compete agreement in Georgia, contact attorney K.P. Reddy at The Reddy Law Firm, P.C. Our firm has years of experience in drafting, negotiating, enforcing, and litigating employment contracts for clients in Atlanta, Suwanee, Marietta, Gainesville, Johns Creek, and across the State. Please call (678) 629-3246 for a free phone consultation today.