Pursuing a new job can be an exciting time as you negotiate salaries and review new perks. However, it is important for people in Houston to understand how contractual obligations may restrict their ability to leave or work for another company. If you have signed something dictating your ability to go elsewhere, you could be found in breach of contract. In other cases, it is possible that a company recruiting you could be sued, as one recent case illustrates.
Texas Monthly, an Austin-based magazine, has filed a lawsuit against The New York Times for what they say is the company’s interference with a contract. The Times initially thought when they hired the former editor-in-chief of Texas Monthly that the magazine would sue the individual for breach of contract. However, the interim editor-in-chief said the man is not a legal target.
It all began in December 2012 when The Times allegedly began recruiting the magazine’s editor. According to the suit, recruiting tactics including several newsroom leadership members from The Times visiting Austin to meet with the then-editor. The magazine’s president and general counsel alerted The Times that if the individual was hired, they expected to be compensated. Further, they told The Times that the employee in question was under contract until 2015.
A spokeswoman for The Times had stated that there was no grounds for Texas Monthly to file a suit. In circumstances such as this, it is imperative that both companies have proper legal representation. Attorneys can help mitigate the risk of lawsuits and protect a company’s assets in the event something like this occurs.
Source: Austin Business Journal: “Update: Texas Monthly sues New York Times over hiring of Silverstein,” Robert Grattan, April 11, 2014