Sterling Title Company v. Martin

**What Happened** Sterling Title Company sued their former employee, Martin, claiming he violated his non-compete agreement and stole trade secrets when he left to work for a competitor. The company also accused him of unfair competition and breaking his duty of loyalty to the employer. **What the Court Decided** The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Martin, throwing out all of Sterling's claims. The court found that the non-compete agreement was unenforceable because it covered too large a geographic area under North Carolina law. When a non-compete is found invalid, it typically undermines other related claims the employer might have. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows that North Carolina courts will strike down non-compete agreements that are unreasonably broad, particularly in their geographic restrictions. Workers should know that just because they signed a non-compete doesn't mean it's automatically enforceable - courts will examine whether the restrictions are reasonable and necessary to protect legitimate business interests. If a non-compete tries to prevent you from working across an overly large area, it may be invalid and unenforceable.