Category Archives: CEOs

Considering a New Job? Please Talk to Your Lawyer

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Bria Burk

Zillow recently reached a whopping $130 million settlement with Realtor.com operator Move Inc. shortly before the two online real estate giants went to trial over alleged misappropriation of trade secrets. While the settlement amount is a far cry from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Business Continuity, CEOs, Complaints Against Executives, Confidential Information, Corporate culture, Covenants Not to Compete, Executive Compensation, Executive contracts, Executive Management Style, Fiduciary Duty, Legal, Litigation, Non-Competes, Trade Secrets, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Considering a New Job? Please Talk to Your Lawyer

White House Report Says Non-Competes May Hurt Competition

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

The White House is weighing in on the growing use of non-compete agreements and how they can negatively affect competition, individual workers and the overall economy. Once a tool reserved for top executives, the 16-page report released earlier this week … Continue reading →

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Crass Executive Spending Puts Leading Veterans Charity under a Cloud

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

As obvious as it seems, abusing an expense account with lavish personal spending is one of the most common ways a CEO can get into trouble. Being an executive comes with reasonable perks that are necessary and helpful to doing the job. But some people get carried away and forget that these funds are not for their personal use and enjoyment. Continue reading →

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What Execs Can Learn from the Clinton Email Scandal

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Joe Ahmad

It’s always a good time to learn from the misfortunes/bad judgment of others, and the Hillary Clinton email controversy seems as good an opportunity to do that as any.
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Cardinal/Astros Hack: Earth-Shaking in Baseball, Business as Usual in the C-Suite

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Joe Ahmad

The recent hack into the Houston Astros’ Ground Control database may be unprecedented in sports, but it has echoes of countless trade secret theft cases in the business world. And even if the culprit turns out to be just one or two “rogue elements” within the Cardinals’ front office, it also offers lessons to high-level executives who change jobs. Continue reading →

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Do Texas Execs Get Paid for Unused Vacation Time? It Depends

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Joe Ahmad

A recent study revealed that 41 percent of American workers don’t plan to use all of their paid time off. Given the level of competitiveness in the C-suite, it stands to reason that an even higher percentage of executives leave a significant amount of vacation on the table each year. Not only is this a bad idea – taking time away from work can pay off exponentially in more refreshed, focused workers at every level of the company – but it also means that executives who leave their employers may be walking away from a portion of their compensation. Continue reading →

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‘LinkedIn Defense’ Isn’t Necessarily a Slam Dunk

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Joe Ahmad

Back in April 2013, when the Texas Legislature was still considering whether to adopt the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (it ultimately passed), I predicted that a sticking point would be the inclusion of “a list of actual or potential customers … Continue reading →

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Rolling out the welcome (home) mat to Nolan Ryan

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Joe Ahmad

Usually, when an executive says they’re making a move “to spend more time with family,” it’s code for “there’s a lot more to this story than we’re telling you.” But in the case of former Texas Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan’s … Continue reading →

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A Ban on Noncompetes? Don’t Expect One in Texas

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Joe Ahmad

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has come out in support of banning covenants not to compete, claiming that they stifle innovation and send jobs and entrepreneurs fleeing to other states. He says companies would be protected against trade secret theft if … Continue reading →

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Would Doc Rivers’ Non-Compete Fly in Texas?

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Joe Ahmad

The NBA just approved the trade of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers in return for Boston’s getting a first-round draft pick in 2015. This is obviously big news in the basketball world—Rivers is now reported … Continue reading →

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