When a Fiduciary Breaches a NY Non-Compete Agreement – and Lies About It

Reading the appellate court’s rendition of the facts in this breach of contract, breach of non-competition agreement and fraudulent inducement/concealment case, it is clear that the court empathized with the plaintiff, and wanted to allow the plaintiffs their day in court. The sordid details are as follows: In GoSmile, Inc. v. Levine, the defendant founded [...]

When a New York Company’s Ability to Fire At Will Goes Too Far

New York’s Appellate Division, First Department’s dismissal of a wrongful termination and breach of contract claim by a securities firm’s compliance officer in a December 21 decision in Sullivan v. Harnisch is troubling. And I say that against a backdrop of a solid understanding and appreciation that most wrongful termination claims in New York are [...]

When An Oral Agreement Is Perfectly Valid Under New York Law

In the breach of contract context, one of the most common – and potent – defenses to these cases is that the agreement was never reduced to writing, and therefore barred by New York’s Statute of Frauds. There is a narrow, but  important exception to this rule: when the contract is terminable at will, or, [...]

Is My Non-Compete Agreement Enforceable Under New York law?

In the wake of the massive layoffs of the last few years, I’ve been asked this question an awful lot. (If you’re looking for a link to what a typical non-compete clause looks like, keep reading). Fortunately, the Court of Appeals – New York State’s highest court, has written rather extensively on the subject. In [...]

At-Will Employees’ Breach of Oral Contract Claim For Unpaid Bonuses Survives Dismissal in NY County Case

If an at-will employee resigns before they are paid their commissions, they forfeit their right to collect them, right? Absolutely not, held a New York County trial court. In Nichols v. SG Partners, Inc., the plaintiffs were employed by defendant as placement professionals, earning both a base salary as well as a percentage of defendant’s [...]

How An Improperly Drafted Employment Contract Allowed Employee’s Claim To Collect Post-Termination Commissions To Survive Dismissal in New York

In a hot-off-the-presses decision that was handed down this past Thursday, and is scheduled to appear in Tuesday’s New York Law Journal, New York’s Appellate Division, First Department (which covers New York and Bronx Counties) reversed that portion of a trial court’s decision that dismissed a former at-will employee’s claims under Labor Law §§191 and [...]

Employment Contract Cannot Be Implied, New York Federal Court Holds

In Bernhardt v. Tradition North America, a case very similar to the one we discussed recently in “Why Whistleblower Protection Clause In Employee Manual May Be Worthless,” the plaintiff, who was a vice president at defendant Tradition North America Inc., notified the SEC of various securities schemes that he had supposedly uncovered at his company. [...]

NY County Court Explains Why Whistleblower Protection Clause In Employee Manual May Be Worthless

In Candela v. Banco Industrial de Venezuela C.A., the New York County trial court’s decision to dismiss a breach of contract and wrongful termination claim by a bank employee serves a clear warning to at-will employees everywhere: know your rights and what you must do to protect them before you are fired. Conversely, the decision [...]

Why Most Employment Contract Breach/Wrongful Termination Claims Are Doomed In NY

Before addressing the merits of a breach of contract/wrongful termination claim against an employer, the threshold question that must be asked is “if I win, is a judgment against my former employer collectible?” Unfortunately, in this economy, the answer to this question is increasingly “no.” Consequently, even if you have the most meritorious claim, external [...]