AOL and NON-COMPETES

Breaking news on Wallstreet Journal Online today, AOL will fire 1/3 of work force.

That is devastating for Northern Virginia. It is also devastating for those individuals who have non-compete agreements with AOL and will soon be out of work.

Will AOL do the right thing and release these employees from their restrictive covenants so that they can support their families?

Only time will tell. In the meanwhile, let us know if you need to know your options as an AOL employee with a non-competition or non-solicitation agreement.

WHO IS THIS?

QUESTION: Who is this lady?

1. She is your ex-employer's IT department who was asked to examine your blackberry and laptop 10 minutes after you resigned and these items were returned. She is building a lawsuit against you for breach of contract and Trade Secret violations.

2. She is your old colleague who was emailing herself at home, copies of client lists two weeks before she planned to quit and start her own consulting company.

3. She is your non-compete attorney, anxiously awaiting the Court's Order as to whether or not your non-compete is binding as a matter of Virginia law.

4. She is your wife checking the bank account to see how much is left after you quit one job to work for a competitor and then were fired when the new company learned about your binding agreement.

5. She is an organized job applicant who is calling Frith Law Firm to have a non-compete reviewed before she signs it.

ANSWER: All of the above.