Before you and your co-founders quit your jobs to pursue your startup idea, it is important to review any and all agreements with your employers to ensure that there are no provisions that might restrict your freedom to pursue your new venture. This is of particular concern if your new business is in the same market or industry as any founder’s previous employer. Employee handbooks and any other relevant documents should also be reviewed.
Be sure to pay particular attention to any of the following provisions:
- Confidentiality provisions,
- Non-compete provisions,
- Provisions regarding non-solicitation of customers, vendors, or employees,
- Provisions regarding the assignment of inventions.
What is the best way to handle these restrictions? Ideally, you would avoid signing any employment contract that places limits on your professional pursuits. But that may not be an option since many employers require them, and many aspiring entrepreneurs have already signed such contracts by the time they decide to start a company.
So the next best thing is to read your contract carefully to determine if it could limit your startup plans. From there, you can figure out how to avoid any potential conflicts. Look for language in three key areas: intellectual property, non-competition and non-solicitation. Restrictions in these areas protect companies from losing a competitive advantage when you leave to work for someone else or start a business of your own.
Intellectual Property
If your new venture is a technology company, you will need to pay particular attention to the creation of intellectual property. Assignment of intellectual property ensures that the ideas, discoveries and techniques that you developed for your employer remain the property of the company. This typically includes any work you did during working hours or using company technology or property (such as a company-issued laptop).
While this may seem straightforward, watch out because this clause could also include work you did for your startup during non-working hours using your own property. Some particularly restrictive contracts assert that any work you did while you were employed at the company is their property, even if you did the work during non-business hours using your own personal laptop or mobile device.
The key is to make sure the idea behind your startup is not part of an idea, or based on any technology or other intellectual property, that you assigned to your current employer. If it is, you either need to come up with another idea or ask your employer for permission to pursue it.
Non-Competition
Of the three areas, non-competition is probably the most common issue for entrepreneurs. These clauses restrict an employee from starting a business that competes with the employer. Non-compete agreements often extend for one year after employment ends and cover the geographic area in which the company operates. In today’s online world, however, it is often difficult to determine the actual limits of that geographic restriction.
The challenging aspect of non-compete clauses is determining what constitutes competition. Usually the agreement will contain a description of your employer’s business or industry. But it can be tough to know for sure if your proposed business falls into the category of competitor. To help clarify this issue, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is my startup in a similar business or industry as my employer’s business?
- Will I target the same customers?
- Does my startup use similar knowledge or technology?
It’s also helpful to think about this from the employer’s perspective. Could they make a credible case that your venture would compete with their company?
Non-Solicitation
This clause prohibits you from soliciting employees or customers of your employer. Some agreements go a step further and prohibit the hiring of any employees. This means that if an employee decides to apply for a job at your company, even without any overtures from you, you could be found in violation of that agreement if you hire that employee. More stringent agreements may also cover former employees. Non-solicitation clauses are often limited to a period of time.
What If My Startup Plans Appear To Violate My Contract?
Here are some steps you can take:
- Determine if the language is overly broad or vague. Some contracts will contain such broad language that it’s likely not enforceable. For example, if your contract states that you cannot work in your chosen field anyplace else, there’s a very good chance the provision is not enforceable or at least the scope of the restriction might be limited by a court.
- Examine your state’s laws. State laws can influence the enforceability of many of these provisions. For example, some states will not uphold non-compete agreements under many circumstances. And while non-competition agreements are enforceable in most states, they generally must be reasonable in scope. It’s a good idea to check your state’s laws to determine what they will allow.
- Ask your employer for a waiver. You might consider this option if you are on good terms with your employer. There’s a good chance your request will be granted if your venture isn’t a competitive threat, even if it technically falls within the scope of the IP assignment or non-competition agreement. This approach is not without risk, however, as there’s always a possibility your request could be denied, making it harder for you to assert at a later date that there was no violation.
If you still have doubts after going through this process, seek advice from an attorney who is knowledgeable about these matters. Most importantly, don’t wait until your startup is successful before addressing these critical legal issues.
