What Is A Covenant Not To Compete In Oklahoma?
Generally speaking, in Oklahoma, a covenant not to compete means that the employee will agree not to work for any of their employer's competitors upon leaving the company. Such agreements are also known by the term "non-compete clauses". Compensation may be paid for employees who sign the covenant, or at times the employment may be conditioned upon such an agreement.
When are Covenants not to Compete Unenforceable?
Knowing in advance whether a judge will enforce an employee's non-compete clause can be difficult. While employer's interest are significant, the courts of Oklahoma also put a high level of importance on a person's ability to pursue their desired employment opportunities. Consequently, a court will generally only uphold non-compete clauses which under the circumstances are considered to be reasonable. Terms contained in a covenant not to compete will be struck down by a court as unreasonable if they bind the employee for an excessively long period of time or if they cover an unreasonably large geographic area around Tulsa.
Covenants must also be limited to restricting dealings with those competitors that are rationally related to the employer?s industry. Finally, an employer is required to have a valid business reason in its motivation for imposing a covenant not to compete on an employee.
Do I Need an Attorney when Dealing with a Covenant not to Compete?
Before you sign any documents that could restrict your rights, you may consider hiring a Tulsa, Oklahoma attorney who can review the covenant. The attorney can negotiate modifications to the contract if they are needed, and can draft a new clause which is acceptable to the parties involved. Attorneys can provide valuable counseling to employers who are considering suing an employer who breached a covenant not to compete. They can also assist employees who have signed an agreement limiting their employment options.
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Life in Tulsa
Tulsa has been diversifying it's oil industry controlled economy. In doing so, Tulsa has become the second largest city in the State of Oklahoma and a major center for high tech, finance, aerospace, and telecommunications technology development and manufacturing. Tulsa acts as the most important manufacturing hub in Oklahoma and produces nearly 60% of the goods exported from Oklahoma. Financial institutions like BOK Financial Corporation are headquartered in Tulsa alongside business like QuikTrip, Dollar-Thrifty car rental, Hilti, and gas related companies like Sem Group, Synthroleum, and Excel Energy. Attesting to how well the city is doing, the housing trends show a 6% increase in rent last year. So what else does Tulsa have to offer?The University of Tulsa, Oral Roberts University, Rogers State University, and Tulsa Community College each accept students seeking higher educations. The University of Tulsa was ranked among the best doctoral universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report and one of the top masters institutions by the Princeton Review. The Cancer Treatment Centers of America have their Southwest Regional cancer treatment facility in Tulsa which is located at the Southwest Regional Medical Center. It's one of the largest cancer treatment hospitals in the nation.
