South Carolina Non-Compete Attorney

There is no one in South Carolina with more experience fighting noncompete agreements than South Carolina Noncompete Lawyer Andy Arnold. With 30 years of litigation experience, Andy has seen noncompetes go from “not worth the paper it’s written on” to noncompetes presenting real obstacles to individuals who want to earn their best living. The number of U.S. court decisions involving non-compete agreements has risen 61% since 2002, according to research commissioned by the Wall Street Journal. With most cases settled out of court, we know those non-compete agreements are much more widespread. Experienced South Carolina non-compete attorney Andy Arnold has seen firsthand how non-competes can stifle a person’s employment mobility and pursuit of a person’s greatest worth.

Non-Competes: The Beginning of the End

Non-compete agreements are most often signed at the beginning of employment. Employees and business owners who have non-compete agreements often regret the day they signed away the ability to earn their best living. While these agreements are enforceable under South Carolina labor laws, many times non-competes are unreasonable, overly broad, and unduly oppressive. However, courts will enforce these agreements and juries will award damages. Proper planning and legal advice can make all the difference.

Nowadays, non-compete agreements are not just reserved for executives and senior leadership. According to a 2015 working paper “Noncompetes in the U.S. Labor Force,” low-skilled, minimum-wage workers – even volunteer positions – are now signing non-compete agreements. The research suggests one in four workers have signed a noncompete in their lifetime, and 12.3% are currently bound by one.

South Carolina Non-Compete Attorney Andy Arnold

An employment lawyer in South Carolina for more than 30 years, Andy Arnold has been successful at both the trial court level as well in the appellate courts. His track record includes a 5-0 Supreme Court decision striking down an overly broad non-compete agreement. He has helped his clients fight off injunctions at the trial court level that threatened to deny them a means of earning a living. The best defense is not to sign one to start with, but if it is past that point, you want someone who knows the law.

If a non-compete agreement is written with restrictions that are too broad and extends well beyond what is necessary to protect the legitimate interest of an employer, the employee may have a valid defense. For example, if any clause in the non-compete agreement prohibits an employee or contractor from not only working in the territory in which s/he worked but includes states or counties where the employee never actually performed services, it may be deemed invalid.

South Carolina non-compete attorney Andy Arnold knows the law and understands ways in which courts examine and invalidate unreasonable agreements. He will review your non-compete agreement, advise you on South Carolina labor laws, and help you to find your best options to beat your non-compete agreement.  In addition, he is knowledgeable regarding South Carolina Trade Secrets Act and evolving common law doctrines such as “inevitable disclosure.”

Call 864-242-4800 to schedule a consultation.

Beat Your Non-compete

For more on Andy Arnold’s experiences handling non-compete agreements, read his blog “Beat Your Noncompete.”