Employment Seminar

If your organisation has important assets to protect, such as customer connections, goodwill or key staff members, then this seminar is for you.

To what extent can employees be restricted in their activities after the employment relationship has ended? Most organisations invest a considerable amount of money and resources in recruiting and training staff and they provide staff with access to confidential information and exposure to their customer base.  When an employee leaves there are often concerns that the former employee may try and use such information and contacts to unfairly secure work or to place the former employer at a disadvantage (such as by soliciting customers or by poaching staff).

One way employers can try to protect their organisation is to include restrictive covenants within contracts of employment that seek to limit the activities of former employees for a limited period of time.  This issue was addressed and clarified in the recent case of Dunedin Independent plc v Kenneth Anderson Welsh, where restrictive covenants in a contract of employment were subject to judicial scrutiny by the Court of Session.

What vital lessons can be learned from this case by employers? Tony Jones, the BTO Partner and Solicitor Advocate who successfully defended Mr Welsh in the action brought by his previous employers, will provide delegates with a unique insight into the issues arising for employers in this complex area of law.

David Hoey, Partner in the Employment team, will then offer practical guidance on the drafting of restrictive covenant clauses in light of this ground-breaking case in an attempt to provide delegates with some useful tips on how best to protect their organisation.