Non-compete agreements and non-solicitation agreements are designed to protect companies, but these protections may come at the expense of employees. The Texas Non-Compete Agreement Attorneys at Kilgore & Kilgore represents businesses seeking to enforce them and employees with issues related to the non-compete agreements and non-solicitation agreements they have signed. The law governing these agreements illustrates a complex balance between the right of a business to protect its intellectual property rights and the free market for employment.

Such agreements have become more commonplace for employees. With these agreements, employers attempt to protect their proprietary rights to customer lists, business innovations, scientific research and inventions. This confidential information may be vital to the success of a business. At the same time, these agreements often hamstring employees and executives in their attempts to offer their services to competitors and the free market.

Best Advice is to Plan Ahead

To protect yourself, you must plan ahead. If you want to avoid a court order that will prevent you from competing with a former employer, the best thing you can do is avoid signing a non-compete agreement. In many industries this is impossible. You should talk with an employment law lawyer before signing one.

Ted Anderson, Attorney

Take Nothing When Leaving

When leaving an employer, take nothing with you, that is, take no documents, computer files, contact list, rolodex, nothing. By bringing along information about a former employer, you are exposing yourself to litigation and potential court orders restricting your future employment.

Our employment law attorneys work diligently to reach favorable resolutions in these matters, in a timely and cost-effective manner. Some examples of our work with non-competition and non-solicitation agreements include:

• Represented the chief executive of a company accused of violating the non-compete and non-solicitation provisions of a franchise agreement after he opened a new business. A jury and judge returned a judgment in favor of the chief executive releasing him from a restraining order that was preventing him from opening his new business. The judge and jury also awarded monetary damages to the chief executive.
• Helped a young software engineer to understand the meaning of a proposed non-compete agreement he was presented with and negotiated with his employer for more reasonable terms.
• Helped several entrepreneurs form their new start-up company without violating the terms of the non-compete agreements they signed with a former employer.

Kilgore & Kilgore represents businesses and executives in matters such as:

• Temporary restraining orders enforcing non-compete agreements and non-solicitation agreements;
• Permanent injunctions preventing executives from employment with competitors;
• Trials to determine damages for violations of these agreements and their restriction on competition.

Clients Tell Us

Click on this link to read some of the many client testimonials that people have sent to thank our intellectual property attorneys for getting them back on track. Kilgore & Kilgore can do the same for you.

Reach Out to Us

To learn more about our employment law practice or to schedule an appointment to discuss matters in confidence with an employment attorney at our Dallas office, contact us today. We offer a free review of the facts of your case with a Kilgore & Kilgore attorney to help you understand your situation from a legal perspective and whether or how to proceed with an action.