IT Recruiting Firm’s Non-Compete and Trade Secrets Claims Against Former Employees Fail – ND IL (Part I of II)

In Instant Technology, LLC v. DeFazio, 2014 WL 1759184, the Northern District of Illinois examines Illinois non-compete law, trade secrets rules and a slew of business torts in the context of a heated battle between rival recruiting firms and some of their key employees.  This article distills the case’s key restrictive covenant principles.  Part II of …

Stored Communications Act Claim Survives Summary Judgment In Social Media Account Hijacking Case

Maremont v. Fredman, 2014 WL 812401 (N.D.Ill. 2014) examines an employee’s claims under the Stored Communications Act (18 U.S.C. § 2701)(the “SCA”) where the employer accessed the employee’s social media accounts     that she used for both personal and business purposes. The Court found that plaintiff submitted evidence to raise triable fact questions on each …

Medical Practice Break-Up Spawns Non-Compete Dispute

The bitter breakup of a medical practice provides the setting for the Illinois Fifth District to consider the scope of a non-compete clause and how it impacts a minority shareholder’s buy-out rights. Gingrich v. Midkiff, 2014 IL App (5th) 120332-U presents a dispute between two former partners in a medical corporation.  At the medical practice’s inception – …