In general, covenants not to compete involve an employee in the state of Missouri who agrees not to work for competitors of their employer when they leave the company. Such covenants are often called "non-compete" clauses". Compensation might be paid for employees who sign the covenant, or at times the employment might be conditioned upon such an agreement.

When are Covenants not to Compete Unenforceable?

Foreseeing whether or not a judge will uphold a covenant not to compete is typically difficult. Although the interests of employers are significant, courts in Missouri also give importance to an employee's freedom to choose the type of employment that they desire. As a result, courts usually uphold only those covenants that are consider to be reasonable according to the circumstances. A court will normally hold non-compete clauses to be unreasonable if they involve unusually long periods of time or if they cover a geographic region surrounding Creve Coeur that is excessively large.

Covenants must also be limited to restricting dealings with those competitors that are reasonably related to the employer's industry. Lastly, an employer is required to have a legitimate 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?

Since covenants could restrict your rights, you may wish to hire a Creve Coeur, Missouri lawyer to review any agreements. They will be able to negotiate further changes to the covenant, and can draft an entirely new one that is acceptable to all parties if needed. Employers can receive useful advice from an attorney should they decide to sue a worker for breaching a covenant, and employees who have signed such covenants can also benefit from a lawyer's counseling.