Tennessee Noncompete Agreement: What's Included and Enforceability
Quick Facts — Noncompete Agreement Lawyers (Tennessee)
- Avg cost to review a Non-Compete Agreement: $310.00
- Lawyers available: 18 Tennessee employment lawyers
- Clients helped: 9 recent noncompete agreement projects in Tennessee
- Avg lawyer rating: 5.0 (4 reviews)
Is a Non-Compete Agreement Enforceable in Tennessee?
Yes. In Tennessee, non-compete agreements are enforceable if the contract is used to protect and legitimate business interest and is reasonable. Courts will determine whether a non-compete is reasonable based on the following factors:
- Employer's interests. The employer must be faced with a threat to their business in the absence of a non-compete agreement.
- Employee hardship. The contract cannot impose economic hardship on the employee.
- Consideration. The agreement must be supported by adequate consideration.
- Public interest. The agreement cannot negatively affect the public.
When determining whether to enforce a non-compete agreement, courts will also consider the information that the employer is seeking to protect. There must be a legitimate business interest like trade secrets. Non-compete agreements cannot be used solely to prevent reasonable competition.
How Long Does a Tennessee Non-Compete Agreement Last?
Courts in Tennessee have ruled that two years is a reasonable length of time for a non-compete agreement to last. Under a two-year non-compete agreement, the geographic boundary can extend nationwide as long as the employer’s business has a presence nationwide.
How Do You Get Around a Non-Compete Agreement in Tennessee?
To get around a non-compete agreement in Tennessee, an employee will need to prove that the agreement is unreasonable. If the employee is facing undue hardship because of the agreement or the terms of the agreement are overly restrictive, they may be able to convince a court to terminate the contract.
What Voids a Tennessee Non-Compete Agreement?
A non-compete agreement in Tennessee will be void if an employee was wrongfully terminated. When an employee is fired in good faith, an employer can usually enforce a non-compete agreement. However, if the employee signs the non-compete agreement and is terminated shortly after, a court may find the contract void because it was not signed in good faith.
Frequently Asked Questions
See Noncompete Agreement by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
See Real Non-Compete Agreement Projects
Nevada I have two non competes that needs review, one on rollover shares and as a retired officer Review
- Nevada
- 3 lawyer bids
- $400 - $500
California Review non-compete clauses for Blockchain Startup Offer Letter Review
- California
- 6 lawyer bids
- $150 - $400
Florida Review Employment Contract Non-Compete Clause for Chiropractor Review
- Florida
- 4 lawyer bids
- $150 - $399
See all Non-Compete Agreement projects in Tennessee
ContractsCounsel is not a law firm, and this post should not be considered and does not contain legal advice. To ensure the information and advice in this post are correct, sufficient, and appropriate for your situation, please consult a licensed attorney. Also, using or accessing ContractsCounsel's site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and ContractsCounsel.
Need help with a Noncompete Agreement?
Meet some of our Tennessee Noncompete Agreement Lawyers
Dean F.
Ferraro Law Firm was founded by Dean C. Ferraro. Dean earned his Bachelor's Degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona ("Cal Poly Pomona") in 1992 and his J.D. Degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law ("Ole Miss") in 1996. He is licensed to practice law in the State Courts of Colorado, Tennessee, and California. Dean is also admitted to practice before the United States District Courts of Colorado (District of Colorado), California (Central District), and Tennessee (Eastern District). Shortly after earning his law license and working for a private law firm, Dean joined the District Attorney's office, where he worked for five successful years as one of the leading prosecuting attorneys in the State of Tennessee. After seven years of practicing law in Tennessee, Dean moved back to his birth state and practiced law in California from 2003-2015. In 2015, Dean moved with his family to Colorado, practicing law in beautiful Castle Rock, where he is recognized as a highly-effective attorney, well-versed in many areas of law. Dean's career has entailed practicing multiple areas of law, including civil litigation with a large law firm, prosecuting criminal cases as an Assistant District Attorney, In-House Counsel for Safeco Insurance, and as the founding member of an online law group that helped thousands of people get affordable legal services. Pursuing his passion for helping others, Dean now utilizes his legal and entrepreneurial experience to help his clients in their personal and business lives. Dean is also a bestselling author of two legal thrillers, Murder in Santa Barbara and Murder in Vail. He currently is working on his next legal thriller, The Grove Conspiracy, set to be published in 2023.
"I would highly recommend Contract Counsel to friends or family. I received bids relatively quickly and was able to find the best fit for my situation."
Robert M.
Robert is a sixth-generation Tennessean and part of a long line of Tennessee attorneys: There has been a Marks attorney in Tennessee since 1856. In 1929, Robert’s great-grandfather established an event venue, Shadowbrook, which Robert has worked at his entire life, including managing for 10 years. He knows what business owners are dealing with—especially venue owners—because he has dealt with it. While Robert loves the hospitality industry, he pursued his passion. In 2016, Robert decided to attend law school and continue managing the business. He thrived. He was a founding member of the Nashville School of Law's Legal Aid Society, received the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Law Student for Justice award, and interned with the Tennessee Supreme Court's Access to Justice Commission. Before co-founding Mercury Legal Group, Robert focused on estate planning in solo practice. In this role, he helped clients protect what they had spent a lifetime building. Now he helps his clients build their businesses by providing tailored legal services.
"Robert handled my situation quickly and professionally. Walked through the details with me and got a demand letter sent out. Definitely a recommended Attorney."
Connie C.
Connie Chadwick presently focuses her law practice in Tennessee on flat fee legal services which commonly include family court settlements such as divorces, child support orders, custody agreements; contracts; business formation services; and estate plans. Connie is also a Tennessee licensed residential general contractor with over fifteen years of experience in the construction field. With both legal and construction experience, Connie is a logical choice for contractor disputes. Connie earned her Doctorate of Jurisprudence from The Nashville School of Law after earning her Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Lipscomb University. www.conniechadwicklaw.com Connie Chadwick is recognized by peers and was selected to SuperLawyers Rising Stars for 2017 - 2023. This selection is based off of an evaluation of 12 indicators including peer recognition and professional achievement in legal practice. Being selected to Rising Stars is limited to a small number of attorneys in each state. As one of the few attorneys to garner the distinction of Rising Stars, Connie Chadwick has earned the respect of peers as one of the top-rated attorneys in the nation.
"Connie was a pleasure to work with and provided thorough legal advice that I was able to make actionable decisions on. Thank you Connie!!"
John M.
John has extensive leadership experience in various industries, including hospitality and event-based businesses, then co-founded a successful event bar company in 2016. As co-founder, John routinely negotiated agreements with venues, suppliers, and other external partners, swiftly reaching agreement while protecting the brand and strategic objectives of the company. He leverages his business experience to provide clients with strategic legal counsel and negotiates attractive terms.
October 30, 2023
James S.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-swindle/
John V.
Education: Georgetown Law (83), Yale (75- BA in Economics), Hotchkiss School (1970). Practice areas have included commercial litigation, individual litigation, and securities litigation and arbitration.
Beth M.
Highly skilled attorney with more than 12 years of experience in delivering ongoing support to an international organization, government organizations, law firms, and long-term healthcare facilities. Eager to leverage experience in negotiations, contracts, and strategic planning into a corporate attorney role with room for growth in the organization.
Find the best lawyer for your project
Browse Lawyers NowLawyer Reviews for Tennessee Noncompete Agreement Projects
confidentiality and non-compete agreement review
"Ryenne provides excellent service and highly recommended"
Contract Review and Legal Advisement for Noncompete Agreement
"Excellent work and great communication. Thanks Ivan!"
Review Non-Compete Agreement in Colorado for New Business Start-Up
"Was able to answer questions and provide guidance in an effective manner, thanks Patrick!"
Review Non-Solicitation Clause and Draft Preventative Letter in NYC
"Zack was a pleasure to work with. He was thorough, responsive, and provided clear, practical guidance for my situation."
Review Employment Contract Non-Compete Clause for Chiropractor
"I’m very grateful for [Attorney Name]’s guidance in reviewing my contract. They were responsive, knowledgeable, and made a potentially stressful situation feel manageable."
Contracts
Noncompete Agreement
Florida
Noncompete agreement choice of law?
I recently accepted a job offer with a new employer and they sent me a Noncompete Agreement to sign. I have some questions about the agreement, specifically related to the choice of law. My former employer and I are in different states, and I want to make sure I understand the implications of the agreement before signing.
Venus C.
Congratulations on your new job. Generally, a choice of law clause contained in a non-compete agreement indicates which state law will govern the contract. By way of general example, let's pretend we have a non-compete agreement that states the choice of law is Florida. Let's also pretend the parties to this agreement had a dispute and one party filed a lawsuit against the other in the state of New York. In this pretend scenario, because the parties agreed Florida to be their choice of law for the non-compete agreement, the court in New York would abide by that contractual agreement and apply Florida law. While choice of law clauses are commonly used to indicate what law will apply to a contract, the language used or omitted plays a significant role in their interpretation and enforceability.
Employment
Noncompete Agreement
New York
Noncompete agreement and industry restrictions?
I recently signed a Noncompete Agreement with my current employer. I am looking to explore other opportunities in my industry and want to know what restrictions my noncompete agreement might have on me. I am interested in understanding the limitations of the agreement and if there are any potential implications of taking a job in the same industry.
Danielle G.
In order to ascertain the limitations and implications, you would need to review the specific language of the agreement. If the non-compete is very broad, it's possible it would not be enforceable. In New York, for a non-compete agreement to be enforceable, it must be for a reasonable period of time and limited geographic scope. It also must protect the employer's legitimate interest. For example, the restrictions must protect confidential information or specialized skills you gained while on the job, or some other legitimate interest. If the agreement goes beyond those limitations, a court could find the non-complete to be unreasonable and unenforceable, in whole or in part. As to what restrictions your specific non-compete imposes (and the reasonableness of those restrictions), you would need to look at the specific language in the agreement. If you are unsure about the limitations, you should seek advice of counsel to help decipher the extent it would apply to your industry in general, and the likelihood it would be enforceable in court.
Employee Rights
Noncompete Agreement
Georgia
How does a noncompete agreement work?
I am an employee at a small business and I have recently been asked to sign a noncompete agreement. I am not sure how these agreements work and what rights I have as an employee. I am also concerned about the restrictions that could be placed on me if I sign the agreement. I want to make sure I understand the implications of signing the agreement before I do so.
Nancy B.
In its simplest terms, a noncompete agreement in an employment context is an agreement that says you will not compete with your former employer if you ever stop working for them. It typically forbids things like: + Working for a competitor + Starting a company that sells the same services/products as your employer + Recruiting employees from your current employer after you have left that employment. One thought is that this could be requested shortly before letting an employee go just to protect the company from competition but I hope that is not the case here as it seems like an unfair use of the noncompete agreement ability in Georgia. The issues are usually the geographical scope (for example within 15 miles of Dalton, Georgia), the time period (one or two years is usually sufficient and courts do not favor long noncompete agreements), and the consideration (such as a new job - which is not applicable in your case, or more compensation). Regards, Nancy A. Burnett
Employment
Noncompete Agreement
Connecticut
Noncompete agreement and change of control?
I recently accepted a new position with a company that has requested that I sign a noncompete agreement. I understand the agreement and the limitations it puts on me, but I am concerned about how the agreement would be affected if the company is sold or changes ownership in the future. I would like to understand my legal rights in the event of a change of control.
Thomas L.
If the future company buys the equity of your current employer, the Non-Compete continues in effect. If the future company buys the assets, the Non-Compete is terminated. I would request a sentence be added to the effect that "if there is a change of control of the Company (meaning more than 50% of the equity interest or 50% of the voting equity control) is sold or transferred, then this Non-Compete Agreement is terminated.
Employment
Noncompete Agreement
Washington
Noncompete agreement and public policy?
I recently accepted a job offer with a new employer who asked me to sign a noncompete agreement. I am concerned that the agreement may not be in line with public policy and wanted to get a professional opinion from a lawyer to make sure I am not putting myself in a difficult situation.
Merry K.
If you are in Washington State, where I'm licensed, as opposed to D.C., please let me know what kind of help you are looking for - have you already signed the agreement? I've been a WA State attorney for nearly 38 years, and specialize in employment law.
Quick, user friendly and one of the better ways I've come across to get ahold of lawyers willing to take new clients.
View Trustpilot ReviewNeed help with a Noncompete Agreement?
Employment lawyers by top cities
- Austin Employment Lawyers
- Boston Employment Lawyers
- Chicago Employment Lawyers
- Dallas Employment Lawyers
- Denver Employment Lawyers
- Houston Employment Lawyers
- Los Angeles Employment Lawyers
- New York Employment Lawyers
- Phoenix Employment Lawyers
- San Diego Employment Lawyers
- Tampa Employment Lawyers
Tennessee Noncompete Agreement lawyers by city
- Chattanooga Noncompete Agreement Lawyers
- Clarksville Noncompete Agreement Lawyers
- Knoxville Noncompete Agreement Lawyers
- Memphis Noncompete Agreement Lawyers
- Murfreesboro Noncompete Agreement Lawyers
- Nashville Noncompete Agreement Lawyers
ContractsCounsel User
Noncompete Agreement Review and Advice upon Constructive Resignation
Location: Tennessee
Turnaround: Less than a week
Service: Contract Review
Doc Type: Non-Compete Agreement
Page Count: 1
Number of Bids: 2
Bid Range: $240 - $250
User Feedback:
ContractsCounsel User