Legal Question in Employment Law in Georgia

Re: Non-Compete Agreement

I concur with Mr. Kent. I do render opinions on covenants not to compete as employment law is one of my primary practice areas. A covenant which would purport to restrict you from doing work for any customer, as opposed just to those you did business with, is very suspect. Further, Georgia will not "blue pencil" it, meaning, if it is overbraod, it will not save it for the employer by construing it in a narrower manner. It will simply refuse to enforce it. If you would like an opinion on your specific contract, e-mail me at [email protected] and I will tell you what I will charge and how to send me the contract. You can also call me at (770) 534-1057 to discuss it. I will not charge you for the initial phone consultation.

Re: Non-Compete Agreement

Non-compete agreements may be valid in most states if properly drafted. In Georgia, to be enforceable, they must be "reasonable" in terms of scope, geography and duration. Unfortunately, whether or not a particular non-compete is reasonable is probably not something that can be answered on a billboard such as this, because they are extremely fact-specific. My best advice is for you to contact an attorney experienced with non-competes to determine whether or not the agreement is valid. It probably won't take a lawyer more than an hour or two to give you a good opinion.

The foregoing is general information only, not specific legal advice. No attorney/client relationship has been created or should be implied. Consult with your own attorney before taking legal action.