Employment Lawyer in Orlando

As a business owner, you often have to make decisions about hiring and managing personnel on your team and bringing in business partners. While you focus on vetting applicants and developing strategic management policies, let our Orlando employment lawyers assist you with the various agreements that will govern your employee relationships and mitigate your legal risks.

A properly constructed employment contract, such as an independent contractor agreement, partnership agreement, noncompete agreement, and non-disclosure agreement can be a highly effective way of protecting both the financial and intellectual resources belonging to a business owner. In today’s world, it is also essential for companies to have a proper employee handbook, including harassment policies. Our firm can assist with preparing and implementing these critical policies.

Utilizing properly written and legally binding contracts should be a no-brainer for any business owner. Whether you intend to hire traditional W2 employees or are seeking qualified Independent Contractors for various roles, the rights and responsibilities of each party need to be outlined in your working agreement.  Perhaps you are an Independent Contractor intending to offer your services to larger companies or everyday consumers—it is vital to your success that your service contracts are legally sustainable and can hold up in a court of law should you have a dispute with a customer. We have the business lawyers Orlando entrepreneurs and employers trust to assist them in ensuring their business documents are valid and enforceable.

Independent Contractor Agreement

An Independent Contractor (“IC”) is typically an individual or business who provides goods or services to the public, and can be hired on an as-needed basis. For example, let us say you own an IT company and you would like to hire an expert to consult with you on a few business strategies, but you do not anticipate needing long-term services. In this scenario, it would make sense to hire an IC who specializes in consulting on IT business matters. By hiring an IC, you pay only for the services you need, save on payroll taxes, and are not required to offer any benefits such as vacation time or health insurance. Essentially, your business relationship expires at the conclusion of the project.

On the other hand, let us consider this situation from the vantage point of the IT expert. A large IT company would like to hire you for your services, and you happen to have some wiggle room in your current workload. The next steps might involve meeting with the business owner to discuss which services they are seeking, and whether you can provide those services. Assuming the answer is yes, the details relating to fees, payment arrangements and project completion deadlines would need to be agreed upon next. In a perfect world, a verbal agreement or handshake would cement the business relationship, but in reality, both parties would be far better served if the terms of the agreement were written into a legally binding contract, especially should a dispute arise. Under these circumstances, both parties would benefit from consulting with our knowledgeable employment lawyers to discuss the importance of an Independent Contractor Agreement. 

Non-disclosure Agreement

A Non-disclosure Agreement (“NDA”) is a binding agreement designed to keep sensitive and protected information out of your competitor’s hands. Major corporations all over the world utilize NDA’s to protect trade secrets from others who might take advantage of an opportunity to infringe upon a company’s success. Perhaps you use a particular blend of spices in your secret sauce recipe, or you formulated a specific computer code for a gaming system—information such as this is imperative to your company’s success, so it is important that you take the necessary steps to protect it with the help of experienced Orlando business lawyers. Our employment lawyers can work with you to ensure that your employees or business partners are legally prohibited from sharing your company’s protected information by preparing an NDA that they must execute upon joining the company. A legally binding NDA will also aid you in court in the event you are forced to seek retribution against an employee or partner who exploited your company’s protected information.

If you are the previous employee of a company that is legally pursuing you for allegations that you violated an NDA, please contact our office to speak with one of our employment lawyers to determine if we may be able to help you. A professional Orlando business lawyer can help you navigate these legal issues more effectively.

Noncompete Agreement

A Noncompete Agreement, sometimes referred to as a restrictive covenant, is an agreement or a clause within an agreement which restricts an employee from competing with its employer during the term of their employment, or for a period of time after they no longer work for said company. A noncompete agreement might include a period of time and/or a certain mile radius from the established business in which the former employee is prohibited from conducting the same or a similar business. As a business owner, you likely have clients or a customer base that you invested resources in to secure, so it is imperative to your success that you implement policies to reduce the likelihood that an employee can poach your customer base. Our experienced Orlando business lawyers understand the various requirements necessary in a noncompete agreement in order for it to be valid and enforceable in Florida; our business lawyers can work with you to determine if your current noncompete agreement is viable or prepare one for you.

If you are a current or previous employee of a company intending to open your own business, but are bound by a noncompete agreement, our Orlando business lawyers can analyze the contract and determine if it may be voidable. Our business lawyers can also work on your behalf to find a fair resolution with your employer. If you are being legally pursued by a former employer for allegedly breaching a noncompete agreement, please contact our office to determine if one of our employment attorneys may be able to assist you.

Operating Policies

In addition to the agreements we have discussed here, our Orlando employment lawyers can add value to your business by scrutinizing and drafting your internal operating policies. From employee handbooks to harassment policies, our firm is experienced and knowledgeable in preparing these operational blueprints that will support the success of your business.

As a business owner, you have invested a great deal of time and financial resources into the success of your company. Let the business lawyers Orlando employers trust help you safeguard your business against potential operational or legal issues by providing you with ironclad operating policies and business agreements that will mitigate your risks.