Denied Maternity Leave, NY Woman Sues Employer for Breach of Contract

Kudos to you, ABC, for bringing this story to light. And shame on you, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, for your discriminatory narrow-mindedness. Kara Krill who works for Massachusetts-based Cubist Pharmaceuticals, recently had twin children via a surrogate. She was compelled to have these children through a surrogate because she had health issues that prevented her from having [...]

Why It’s Often Hard to Predict if a NY Court Will Enforce a Non-Compete Agreement

Although I’ve written extensively on the subject of non-compete agreements, setting forth some of the general principles and the exceptions to those rules that help dictate whether a particular non-compete agreement will or won’t be enforced by a New York court, I must concede that it’s often hard to predict with any degree of certainty [...]

When NY Courts Will Enforce a Non-Compete – Even When the Employee Was Fired

Here’s the general rule in New York: if an employee is fired without cause, any non-compete agreement he or she signed will no longer be enforceable. And the reason for this is fairly straightforward – because once the employer is no longer keeping up their end of the contract, the employee shouldn’t be forced to [...]

After 2 Recusals, 3rd Judge is Assigned Trial of Titans-Kiffin Contract Breach & Tortious Interference Claims

Maybe the third time is the charm. In a high-profile breach of contract and tortious interference lawsuit, the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans have sued former NFL coach ,and current USC coach Lane Kiffin, charging that he improperly poached their coaching ranks, inducing Titans running backs coach Kennedy Pola to breach his employment agreement with [...]

Can Bankruptcy Immunize Company From Claims They Violated Non-Compete?

In a blog piece that was published in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, it was reported that OfficeMax has sued A & P, the well-known supermarket chain, seeking a restraining order barring them from poaching key employees. Apparently, OfficeMax felt compelled to take this action after 3 of their key employees left, including their former chief [...]

One Way That Employees Can Forfeit Their Severance Under New York Law

I’ve spoken with many people who, when confronted with the possibilities of starting their own business, hesitate – and not a small bit – because of their fear that they will forfeit their severance package from their current employer. Stated in slightly different fashion, they are concerned that any effort they expend to start a [...]

How Damages for the Breach of an Employment Contract Are Calculated Under NY Law

If you read my previous blog post, “How a Demotion Can Be Deemed a Breach of Employment Agreement Under NY Law,” you are probably wondering (or should be) the following: let’s assume a fact finder (i.e., whether a judge or jury) finds that my employer breached my employment agreement. What damages can I reasonably expect [...]

How a Demotion Can Be Deemed a Breach of Employment Agreement Under NY Law

Consider the following hypothetical scenario: Jim is hired by ABC Stores as Executive VP of Sales and Marketing. His 3-year employment contract states that all managers at ABC’s stores are required to coordinate their in-store marketing efforts through him, including securing his approval of all vendors. Six months later, ABC brings in its CFO’s son [...]

When NY Employers Condition Receipt of Post-Employment Benefits on a Non-Compete

As you may be aware, it has become increasingly common for employers to condition their employees’ receipt of post-employment benefits upon the employees’ agreement to abide by a strict non-compete clause.  So here’s the question (which, unfortunately, occurs altogether too frequently): what if the non-compete is unreasonably and unduly restrictive (i.e., prevents you from using [...]

How to Win the Breach of a Severance Agreement Case in New York

It seems to me that many people are under the impression that your hands are completely tied, and you have no immediate recourse to the New York State courts if your former employer breaches your severance agreement. While in many cases, e.g., where the severance plan is governed by ERISA (in which case a common [...]