On February 7, 2020, the Fourth Department issued a decision in Conklin v. Laxen, 2020 NY Slip Op. 00958, reinstating a claim for tortious interference with an at-will employment contract, explaining: We agree with plaintiff that Supreme Court erred in granting the motion with respect to the tortious interference with employment cause of action against... Read more »
Blogs
Posts Categorized: Labor and Employment Law
Employer Failed to Justify Injunction Enforcing Restrictive Covenant With Former Employee
On February 7, 2019, the First Department issued a decision in Harris v. Patients Med., P.C., 2019 NY Slip Op. 00974, holding that an employer had failed to justify an injunction enforcing a restrictive covenant with a former employee, explaining: A preliminary injunction is an extraordinary provisional remedy which will only issue where the proponent demonstrates... Read more »
Failure to Pay Wages Cannot Be Basis of Labor Law Sec. 193 Claim for Improper Withholding of Wages
On August 22, 2018, Justice Friedman of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in Stec v. Passport Brands, Inc., 2018 NY Slip Op. 32052(U), holding that a failure to pay wages cannot be the basis for a Labor Law Section 193 claim for improperly withholding wages, explaining: [T]he Labor Law does not... Read more »
Plaintiff Was At Will Employee Because His Written Employment Agreement Did Not Have a Definite Term of Service
On January 8, 2018, Justice Platkin of the Albany County Commercial Division issued a decision in Morizio v. Roeder, 2018 NY Slip Op. 50027(U), holding that the plaintiff was an at will employee despite his written employment agreement because the agreement did not contain a definite term of employment, explaining: To be an effective and... Read more »
Judge Bianco Dismisses Case for Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction after Finding That Public Union Was Not a “Mixed” Public/Private Union
Posted by Solomon N. Klein, Litigation Partner District Judge Joseph F. Bianco recently dismissed a putative class action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (“LMRDA”). (Medford v. The Civil Serv. Empls. Ass., Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, CSEA Local 881, 17-CV-0011 (E.D.N.Y. Dec. 5, 2017) (JFB)... Read more »
Court Refuses to Issue Injunction Enforcing Restrictive Covenants
On September 28, 2017, Justice Emerson of the Suffolk County Commercial Division issued a decision in Devos, Ltd. v. United Returns, Inc., 2017 NY Slip Op. 51379(U), refusing to issue an injunction enforcing restrictive covenants in employment contracts, explaining: New York courts have long held that, since there are powerful considerations of public policy which... Read more »
Failure to Set Standards For Award of Stock Options Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith
On June 15, 2017, the First Department issued a decision in Zakrzewski v. Luxoft USA, Inc., 2017 NY Slip Op. 04906, holding that allegations that the defendant failed to set standards by which the plaintiff could earn stock options stated a claim for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, explaining:... Read more »
Restrictive Covenant Reasonable on Facts Alleged
On May 16, 2017, Justice Singh of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in Douglas Elliman LLC v. Steinberg, 2017 NY Slip Op. 31047(U), refusing to dismiss a restrictive covenant as unreasonable, explaining: In New York, a restraint is reasonable only if it: (1) is no greater than is required for the... Read more »
Short-Term, Worldwide Restrictive Covenant Enforced
On April 21, 2017, Justice Kornreich of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in Eagle Energy Brokers, LLC v. Stanton, 2017 NY Slip Op. 30834(U), enforcing a short-term, worldwide restrictive covenant, explaining: Since Eagle only seeks recourse for revenue attributable to its clients for the subject three-month period, the court finds this... Read more »
Court Issues Injunction Enforcing Covenant Not to Compete
On January 12, 2017, Justice Ash of the Kings County Commercial Division issued a decision in Shimon v. Paper Enterprises, Inc., 2017 NY Slip Op. 30101(U), issuing an injunction enforcing a covenant not to compete, explaining: It is well established that covenants not to compete, which relate to the sale of a business and its... Read more »