BREZENSKI v. ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY, INC.

**The Dispute** This case involved a dispute between Brezenski and St. Thomas University over a non-compete agreement. A non-compete agreement is a contract that prevents employees from working for competitors or starting competing businesses after they leave their job. The university wanted to enforce this agreement against Brezenski, likely to stop them from working elsewhere or competing with the university in some way. **The Court's Decision** The court ruled against St. Thomas University and refused to enforce the non-compete agreement. The court found that the agreement was unreasonable in two key ways: it lasted too long and covered too large of a geographic area. When the university asked the court to reconsider this decision through a motion for rehearing, the court denied that request and stuck with its original ruling. **What This Means for Workers** This decision is good news for employees facing overly broad non-compete agreements. Courts will not enforce these agreements if they go too far in restricting where and how long workers cannot compete. Employers cannot use unlimited restrictions to prevent workers from earning a living after leaving their job. Workers should know that non-compete agreements must be reasonable to be legally enforceable.