In Virginia, “non-compete” agreements are enforceable if they are narrowly drawn to protect the employer’s legitimate business interests, are not unduly burdensome on the employee’s ability to earn a living, and are not against public policy. While Virginia courts have recognized that from a public policy perspective, businesses should be able to protect their client base from ex-employees who may leave their employ but continue in the same line of business, what is less clear is exactly which post-employment activities can be restricted before a non-compete becomes overly broad and therefore unenforceable.
The Virginia Supreme Court shed a little more light on the answer to this question yesterday, when it disagreed with itself and overruled Paramount Termite Control Co. v. Rector, 238 Va. 171 (1989). Relying on the precedent set by that case, Home Paramount Pest Control Companies, Inc. (the successor-in-interest to Paramount Termite Control) sued a former employee for breaching the same non-compete provision that was upheld in the earlier case. This time, however, the court struck it down.
The provision at issue stated as follows: