Noncompetes are generally thought of as unique agreements given the varying way states view the restrictive covenants imposed on employees by such agreements. The U.S. Supreme Court recently clarified that that Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U. S. C. §1 et seq., requires arbitration, not litigation, as the proper dispute resolution method for determining enforceability

The general rule in Wisconsin is: (a)  Courts will literally interpret unambiguous contracts; and (b) extrinsic evidence will be used to interpret ambiguous contracts. A recent appellate court decision applied this general rule with respect to noncompete agreements holding that the trial court’s finding that the noncompete was ambiguous was, without additional findings, not enough to find

For over 50 years, Wisconsin has been deciding cases related to covenants not to compete in working relationships under Wisconsin Stat. § 103.465. On July 14, 2009, in an opinion authored by Justice Michael J. Gableman, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court changed the way that statute will work, much to the benefit of employers. Here’s what they did.Continue Reading Wisconsin Makes Covenants More Employer Friendly