Microsoft and Google Battle Over Employee Agreement

An employment related lawsuit is brewing between Microsoft and Google regarding the breaching of an employee non-compete agreement.

Microsoft is suing both employee Kai-Fu Lee and new employer Google for "intentionally assisting" Lee in violating the non-compete clause of his employment agreement. The clause requires Lee to refrain from working for a competitor for 1 year.

Lee gave his notice to Microsoft while he was on sabbatical. He was immediately warned by Microsoft's legal department of its intent to sue.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Employers are relying more and more on non-compete agreements but how well do they hold up?

And what about if you are on the hiring end of an employee who has signed a non-compete agreement? Will Hiring Managers and HR Directors find themselves in the courtroom if they do not screen for this up front?

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