California Noncompete Case Beats Georgia Choice-of-Law (Correct)

A lawsuit brought under California’s statute banning employee noncompetes doesn’t necessarily have to be judged under the laws of Georgia where the disputed contract was signed, the Eleventh Circuit ruled.

Lisa Carrandi, a former senior vice president at NetRoadshow Inc., countersued the company after it tried to legally block her from joining competitor Finsight Group Inc. Carrandi signed a NetRoadshow employment contract containing a noncompete provision, and the pact included a choice-of-law clause applying Georgia law to disputes. Carrandi later moved to California, while still working for NetRoadshow.

Carrandi’s countersuit didn’t spring from the terms of the agreement but rather ...