Restrictive Covenants
You had no idea life was so complicated and you are now at the position where you have had a once in a lifetime offer - are you really bound by those tricky restrictive covenants?
The good news is that all is not necessarily lost. The first issue is to determine exactly which clauses you have in your contract. You then need to ascertain whether the clauses in your contract are enforceable in law - they should be no more than what is reasonable to protect your ex-employer's business interests. It is important that this should be done before you make your final decision and before you hand in your notice, so that both you and the new employer can make an informed choice.
It is also the case that employers are reluctant to enforce covenants if it involves going against a client and if the client genuinely wants to use you rather than your ex-employer. It may be possible to negotiate with your ex-employer to split some of the profit or commission from the business you are taking with you for a certain period of time.
If you are bound by restrictive covenants and a golden opportunity arises, you really need your own specialised legal advice from an experienced employment lawyer. Do not rely on the new employer to assist you. If your ex-employer does decide to take action, it is against you personally, not the new employer. You could end up liable to your ex-employer for his legal costs, which could be many thousands of pounds, as well as having to pay any damages awarded to him, which could turn your golden opportunity into a career disaster.