Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
10/28/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/28/2025 08:22
Willkie Defeats Preliminary Injunction Bid in Florida Non-Compete Case
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Willkie Defeats Preliminary Injunction Bid in Florida Non-Compete Case
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October 28, 2025
Willkie defeated a motion for preliminary injunction in a post-employment restrictive covenant and trade secret misappropriation litigation in Florida, securing a significant initial win - and overcoming the presumption of enforceability for non-compete agreements in the state - on behalf of two executives sued by a former employer.
Willkie prevailed against the motion for preliminary injunction by Franchise Fastlane, LLC, a franchise development company, which sought to bar two of its former directors of franchise development from continuing their employment at an alleged competitor and from using any of plaintiff's purported trade secrets or industry contracts. Willkie succeeded following a full-day evidentiary hearing in which five witnesses were called to testify notwithstanding the presumption under Florida law of validity and enforceability of reasonable restrictive covenants in employment contracts.
The Honorable Mary S. Scriven of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida squarely ruled in favor of Willkie's clients, rejecting the plaintiff's bid for interim relief on all theories and denying the preliminary injunction motion and a related motion for expedited discovery.
The Willkie litigation team is led by partner Matthew Gurvitz and associates Steven Goodrich and Michelle Duarte.
Willkie prevailed against the motion for preliminary injunction by Franchise Fastlane, LLC, a franchise development company, which sought to bar two of its former directors of franchise development from continuing their employment at an alleged competitor and from using any of plaintiff's purported trade secrets or industry contracts. Willkie succeeded following a full-day evidentiary hearing in which five witnesses were called to testify notwithstanding the presumption under Florida law of validity and enforceability of reasonable restrictive covenants in employment contracts.
The Honorable Mary S. Scriven of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida squarely ruled in favor of Willkie's clients, rejecting the plaintiff's bid for interim relief on all theories and denying the preliminary injunction motion and a related motion for expedited discovery.
The Willkie litigation team is led by partner Matthew Gurvitz and associates Steven Goodrich and Michelle Duarte.
Matthew M. Gurvitz Partner Litigation Los Angeles [email protected] +1 310 855 3085
Steven Goodrich Associate Litigation Los Angeles [email protected] +1 310 855 3023
Michelle Duarte Associate Litigation Los Angeles [email protected] +1 310 728 8330
Related Practice Areas
Litigation
Related Locations
Los Angeles
2029 Century Park East
Los Angeles , CA 90067-2905
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP published this content on October 28, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 28, 2025 at 14:23 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]