According to the Florida Uniform Trade Secrets Act (FUTSA), business information must be secret to qualify as a trade secret. FUTSA defines trade secrets as “information . . . that [d]erives independent economic value from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic…
Continue reading ›Businesses often rely on restrictive covenants to protect their sensitive business information and to protect themselves from unfair competition. Businesses often require employees to sign non-compete agreements and employee confidentiality agreements to accomplish these goals. Businesses also often include similar provisions when they purchase all or part of another business. A purchaser will include…
Continue reading ›The defenses of unclean hands and in pari delicto are useful in commercial and business disputes. These are similar defenses that arise when the party bringing the lawsuit possesses a level of fault or guilt. Unclean hands and in pari delicto can be applied in business disputes under certain circumstances to prevent an actor from…
Continue reading ›A cause of action for replevin is a valuable tool to recover property that is wrongfully retained by another. For businesses, replevin can be useful in recovering company property that a former employee or business partner wrongfully possesses and refuses to return. “[R]eplevin is a possessory statutory action at law in which the main issue…
Continue reading ›An employer should take care to understand its legal responsibilities if it has a pregnant employee because several laws prevent an employer from discriminating against that employee. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA) prohibit employers from discriminating against pregnant employees. The Americans with…
Continue reading ›It is common for businesses to enter into vendor-customer relationships with other business. One business might regularly purchase a product or service with another business. In exchange, the vendor will periodically invoice the customer for the product or service. If the customer stops paying the invoices, or otherwise accumulates a large debt in arrears, Florida…
Continue reading ›Indemnity is an important tool for businesses to cover their expenses in litigation should the need arise. Indemnity is a duty to cover the losses, damages, or liability of another. A claim for indemnity often arises when a party is forced to litigate a matter due to the actions of another party. You can imagine…
Continue reading ›The Federal Trade Commission’s rule banning most non-compete agreements is now before a federal appellate court. On May 7, 2024, the FTC proposed a rule that would have banned most non-compete agreements. This rule would have substantially impacted many businesses because non-compete agreements are used to prohibit employees from using the company’s information to compete…
Continue reading ›Many employers attempt to comply with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and treat all employees equally based on their protected statuses. Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on race, color, sex, religion, and national origin. Notwithstanding, employers sometimes have to contend with unmeritorious Title VII lawsuits…
Continue reading ›Purchasing a business can be a complicated matter. Multiple documents such as contracts promissory notes, and financial schedules may can obligate the parties in different ways during the sales process. Sometimes a business sale goes bad. Maybe the buyer or seller wants to back out or a party does not comply with its contractual obligations.…
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