Florida Business Litigation Lawyer Blog

Contracts that restrict or prohibit competition during or after the term of employment are enforceable, “so long as such contracts are reasonable in time, area, and line of business…” Florida Statute § 542.335. A non-compete provision that prohibits a doctor from seeing any patients from medical practice that formerly employed him/her, is not overbroad, provided…

This article is the second in a two-part series on contractual “merger” or “integration” clauses (the terms merger and integration are used interchangeably). Integration/merger clauses purport to define a contract as being limited to only what is contained in the written document signed by the parties. This can help ensure that neither party will later…

Florida employers that seek to enforce Florida non-compete agreements outside the state of Florida cannot presume that out-of-state courts will enforce the agreement as that agreement would have been enforced in Florida. Florida’s non-compete law, § 542.335, Florida Statutes, is considered by many to be the most “pro-employer” in the nation. Other states may refuse…

This article is part one in a two-part series of articles on contractual “merger” or “integration” clauses, which purport to limit the terms of a contract to the terms contained in the written document signed by the parties. This can help ensure that neither party will later claim that he was promised something as part…

Generally, a non-compete agreement is enforceable if it is in writing, supports an employer’s legitimate business interest, and is not overly restrictive in its duration and geographical area. See Florida Statute § 542.335. The Florida Statute governing non-compete agreements lists several public policy considerations that appear, at first blush, to be an impediment to the…

Agreements in restraints of trade are generally void unless they comply with the procedures of § 542.335, Florida Statutes. The statute requires that any agreement restraining trade, such as a non-compete or non-solicitation agreement, be supported by a “legitimate business interest.” An agreement restraining trade can only be enforced to the extent that the agreement…

Many sales positions, irrespective of the industry, require employees to establish personal relationships with prospective or existing customers. Sales employees often meet and greet a business’ existing and potential customers, at the business’ expense to ensure current and future business success. These substantial relationships formed by employees may constitute a protected legitimate business interests as…

Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (“FDUTPA”), § 501.201 et seq, Florida Statutes, allows a person to sue a business for unfair competition and deceptive or unconscionable business practices. Although the statute allows a consumer to sue a business for violations of FDUTPA, Florida appellate court decisions have also allowed some businesses to sue…

Florida law can protect companies when their trade secrets are stolen. For such protections to apply, the confidential information at issue must qualify as a “trade secret” as defined by the Florida Uniform Trade Secrets Act (“FUTSA”). Fla. Stat. 688.001, et seq. Generally, something can be a trade secret if derives “independent economic value from…

The Florida Arbitration Code provides businesses with flexibility in resolving their conflicts through arbitration. Arbitration is an immensely popular method of conflict resolution for Florida business litigation and employment litigation. Arbitration can generally help resolve disputes more quickly than litigation. However, parties to arbitration sometimes need court intervention via “provisional remedies,” i.e., a court ruling…