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Labor and Employment Law

Virginia Noncompete, Formed After Termination of Employment, Upheld as Reasonable

Not all noncompete agreements in Virginia are subject to the restrictive rules governing noncompete agreements formed between employers and employees. Noncompete agreements entered into between two sophisticated parties outside of the employment context may be governed by the less-restrictive standards that govern ordinary contracts. A federal court in Virginia recently denied a motion to dismiss a breach-of-contract claim on this basis, rejecting the argument that the noncompete agreement was unenforceable as a matter of law.

In McClain v. Carucci, a construction and engineering company sued a former employee for allegedly violating a noncompete agreement by forming a competitive company. The noncompete agreement was not entered into as part of the employment relationship, but was part of a larger settlement agreement the parties signed to resolve the company's allegations that the former employee had embezzled nearly $286,000 of the company's funds.

Read the rest of the article at the Virginia Business Litigation Lawyer Blog

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