Category Archives: Non-Competes

Game industry executive’s job-hopping mistake leads to `Game Over’ jury verdict for Facebook/Oculus

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Joe Ahmad

Hours after a Dallas jury returned its $500 million verdict for ZeniMax over claims that Facebook and Oculus unfairly used its virtual reality coding, the creator of that code, John Carmack, took to social media to continue his defense. Carmack, … Continue reading →

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Your Employment Agreement is Nothing Like a Mortgage Document

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Another report on employment contracts is discouraging but not surprising. A survey of 1,000 people in the U.K. showed that more than 90 percent didn’t read their employment contracts – despite the fact that the terms can haunt them for … Continue reading →

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Dialer Beware: Trump Volunteers Must Sign Onerous Agreement to Work Online Phone Bank

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Where do I begin? There are so many troubling aspects to the lengthy nondisclosure agreement that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is requiring online campaign volunteers to sign that I just had to speak up. The contents of this 2,271-world … Continue reading →

Posted in CEOs, Confidential Information, Covenants Not to Compete, Executive contracts, Litigation, Non-Competes, Trade Secrets | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Massage Envy No More

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Houston Chronicle business columnist Chris Tomlinson recently interviewed me about how a woman’s search for a better job landed her in serious legal trouble. The unfortunate story involves Maxie Foster, who worked for years as a receptionist to pay her … Continue reading →

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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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You Really Should Read the Treasury Department’s Report on Non-Competes

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Anybody concerned with non-competes – that is any potential employer or employee, so pretty much all of us – should settle in with a nice sandwich and the beverage of their choice and read the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Economic Policy’s recent report, “Non-compete Contracts: Economic Effects and Policy Implications.” Continue reading →

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Law360 Kerfuffle Adds to Noncompetes Bonfire

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Every few months, a story comes along that reignites the “noncompetes are evil” fervor. Right now, the story du jour is that of Stephanie Russell-Kraft, a freelance reporter who formerly wrote for the legal newswire Law360. She left Law360 – her first job out of college – to take a job at competitor Thomson Reuters Corp. Continue reading →

Posted in Confidential Information, Executive contracts, Legal, Litigation, Non-Competes, Trade Secrets | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

SCOTX Asked to Keep a Few Too Many Secrets

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Joe Ahmad

Yesterday, the Texas Supreme Court heard an important case involving the recently enacted Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (TUTSA), and it could profoundly impact how trade secret cases are litigated in Texas. This case concerns whether a plaintiff can banish … Continue reading →

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More on the Astros/Cardinals Hacking Scandal

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Joe Ahmad

I went on KTRK, Houston’s ABC affiliate, last weekend to discuss the Houston Astros/St. Louis Cardinals hacking scandal. You can check out the video here.

Posted in Confidential Information, Non-Competes, Trade Secrets, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment