White House Calls for Ban on Employee Non-Competes

Reuters reports that the Obama administration has called on US states to put a ban on employee non-competes in many employment agreements that prohibit workers from taking jobs with the employers’ competitors. According to the White House Press Office, non-compete agreements narrow employment options for an estimated one in five workers in the US. About … Continued

New Law May Force GCs to Revise Company Contracts

A new California law will change the way that thousands of corporate counsel draft company contracts. Many companies with employees in California have tried to have their contracts governed by the laws of other states or countries and to have disputes heard in those other locations. For example, a company might specify that a contract … Continued

5 Ways Graduates Can Avoid Bad First-Time Experiences (Getting Work!)

Congratulations. You’ve graduated. After the pictures and the parties and perhaps a well-earned vacation are over, it’s time to get a job and join the workforce. We want to make sure graduates put their best foot forward and avoid a bad experience getting work. So much effort goes into securing that first ‘real’ job that … Continued

Getting a Piece of the Action – Equity in Employment Contracts

Employees below “C level” (CEO, CFO, etc.) are unlikely to get rich on their salaries alone. The more usual way to make serious money from a job is to get some form of equity-based compensation. Employee equity is often granted via an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or ESOP. About 7,000 companies in the US have … Continued

Why You Need to Review Your Employment Contract

So you’ve just been offered a job. YAY! You COULD just sign your employment contract, then head out to upgrade your collection of business-casual khakis. Or, you could actually READ it. Ick, you say. Why ruin a new-job buzz with all that boring legalese? After all the job hunting, resumes, and interviews, why rock the … Continued

14 Types of Contracts Your Startup Needs

No startup is an island. To succeed you’re going to have to form relationships with lots of other people and businesses: co-founders, investors, employees, vendors, customers, etc. To reduce risk and uncertainty, many of those relationships should be formalized with contracts. Here’s a short guide to the types of contracts your startup needs during the … Continued