Non-compete agreements and clauses are common in employment contracts. Employers use non-compete clauses to protect their business interests from competition from former employees. Often the non-compete will set out a geographic space and time within which a former employee is prevented from competing in a certain activity.
In a recent case titled Ste-Croix v. Al-Hashi mi and Jawad Dentistry, following a termination without cause the Ontario Superior Court of Justice canvassed what constitutes "reasonable notice" and the factors the court will consider, what comprises reasonable efforts to mitigate damages, and when a motion for summary judgment is preferable to an unnecessary trial.
The recent case of Radikov v. Premier Project Consultants Ltd et al. is a cautionary tale of the importance of good faith in contractual relations after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed Premier’s appeal, finding Premier had acted as a "puppeteer" by keeping Mr. Radikov at its "beck and call" for roughly three months before attempting to terminate his fixed-term contract just two days before completion and refusing to pay Mr. Radikov’s outstanding invoices.
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