Non-Compete Agreement Template

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NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT

This non-compete agreement (“Agreement”) is between [Company Name] (“Employer’) and [Employee Name] (“Employee”).

Employee desires to give, and Employer desires to receive from Employee, a covenant not to engage, either directly or indirectly, in competition with, or to solicit any customer, client, or account of, Employer.

The Employer and Employee desire to set forth in writing the terms and conditions of their agreements and understandings.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, of the mutual promises herein contained, and of other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending legally to be bound, hereby agree as follows:

1. Non-Compete Covenant

Employee acknowledges that the services to be rendered to Employer have a significant and material value to Employer, the loss of which cannot adequately be compensated by damages alone. In view of the significant and material value to Employer of the services of Employee for which Employer has employed Employee; and the confidential information obtained by or disclosed to Employee as an employee of Employer; and as a material inducement to Employer to employ Employee and to pay to Employee compensation for such services to be rendered for Employer by Employee (it being understood and agreed by the parties hereto that such non-competition shall also be paid for and received in consideration hereof), Employee covenants and agrees as follows:

     A. During Employee's employment by Employer and for a period of _____ years after Employee ceases to be employed by Employer, Employee shall not within ______ miles directly or indirectly, either for Employee's own account or as a partner, shareholder (other than shares regularly traded in a recognized market), officer, employee, agent or otherwise, be employed by, connected with, participate in, consult or otherwise associate with any other business, enterprise or venture that is the same as, similar to or competitive with Employer. By way of example, and not as a limitation, the foregoing shall preclude Employee from soliciting business or sales from, or attempting to convert to other sellers or providers of the same or similar products or services as provided by Employer, any customer, client or account of Employer with which Employee has had any contact during the term of employment.

     B. During employment and for a period of _____ years thereafter, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly, solicit for employment or employ any employee of Employer.

     C. During employment, and thereafter for _____ years, Employee shall not disclose to anyone any Confidential Information. For the purposes of this Agreement, "Confidential Information" shall include any of Employer's confidential, proprietary or trade secret information that is disclosed to Employee or Employee otherwise learns in the course of employment such as, but not limited to, business plans, customer lists, financial statements, software diagrams, flow charts and product plans. Confidential Information shall not include any information which; (i) is or becomes publicly available through no act of Employee, (ii) is rightfully received by Employee from a third party without restrictions; or (iii) is independently developed by Employee.

2. At Will

Employee acknowledges that Employee's employment is "at will", subject to applicable law, and that Employee Non-Compete Agreement either Employer or Employee may terminate employment at any time, with or without notice, for any reason or no reason whatsoever. Nothing in this Agreement shall constitute a promise of employment for any particular duration or rate of pay.

3. Accounting for Profits

Employee covenants and agrees that, if Employee shall violate any covenants or agreements in Section 1 hereof, Employer shall be entitled to an accounting and repayment of all profits, compensation, commissions, remunerations or benefits which Employee directly or indirectly has realized and/or may realize as a result of, growing out of or in connection with any such violation; such remedy shall be in addition to and not in limitation of any injunctive relief or other rights or remedies to which Employer is or may be entitled at law or in equity or under this Agreement.



4. Reasonableness of Restrictions

     A. Employee has carefully read and considered the provisions of Section 1 hereof and, having done so, agrees that the restrictions set forth therein (including, but not limited to, the time period of restriction and the geographical areas of restriction) are fair and reasonable and are reasonably required for the protection of the interests of Employer, its officers, directors, shareholders and other employees.

     B. In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any part of the covenants set forth in Section 1 hereof shall be held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining parts thereof shall nevertheless continue to be valid and enforceable as though the invalid or unenforceable parts had not been included therein. In the event that any provision of Section 1 relating to time period and/or areas of restriction shall be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to exceed the maximum time period or areas such court deems reasonable and enforceable, the agreed upon time period and/or areas of restriction shall be deemed to become and thereafter be the maximum time period and/or areas which such court deems reasonable and enforceable.

5. Burden and Benefit

This Agreement shall be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, Employer and Employee, and their respective heirs, personal and legal representatives, successors and assigns.

6. Severability

The provisions of this Agreement (including particularly, but not limited to, the provisions of Section 1 hereof) shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any one or more of the provisions hereof shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the other provisions hereof.

7. Notices

Any notice required to be or otherwise given hereunder shall be sufficient if in writing, and delivered in person or sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, first-class postage prepaid. Notice may be delivered to a party at the address that follows a party’s signature or to a new address that a party designates in writing.

8. No Waiver

No waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be valid unless the same is in writing and signed by the party against whom such waiver is sought to be enforced; moreover, no valid waiver of any provision of this Agreement at any time shall be deemed a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement at such time or will be deemed a valid waiver of such provision at any other time.

9. Headings

The headings used herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not be used to define, enlarge or limit any term of this Agreement.

10. Entire Agreement

This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding by and between Employer and Employee with respect to the covenant against competition herein referred to, and no representations, promises, agreements or understandings, written or oral, not herein contained shall be of any force or effect.

11. Modification

This agreement may be modified only by a writing signed by the party against whom such modification against whom such modification is sought to be enforced.

12. Injunction

It is agreed that if Employee violates the terms of this Agreement irreparable harm will occur, and money damages will be insufficient to compensate Employer. Therefore, Employer will be entitled to seek injunctive relief to enforce the terms of this Agreement. The prevailing party shall have the right to collect from the other party its reasonable costs and necessary disbursements and attorneys’ fees incurred in enforcing this Agreement.

13. Governing Law

Construction and interpretation of this Agreement shall at all times and in all respects be governed by the laws of the State of _________________.

Dated: ______________________________________

 

Signature: ____________________________________

 

 

Name: _____________________________________________________

 

Address: ___________________________________________________

 

City, State, Zip Code: __________________________________________


(Notary Seal)


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This form has been prepared for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, advertising, a solicitation, or tax advice. Transmission of this form and the information contained herein is not intended to create, and receipt thereof does not constitute formation of, an attorney-client relationship. You should not rely upon this document or information for any purpose without seeking legal advice from an appropriately licensed attorney, including without limitation to review and provide advice on the terms of this form, the appropriate approvals required in connection with the transactions contemplated by this form, and any securities law and other legal issues contemplated by this form or the transactions contemplated by this form.

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