Antitrust Implications Of Silicon Valley Employee Raiding Settlement

Ogletree Deakins attorney Thomas McInerney blogs about the national implications of a settlement in an employee raiding case out of Silicon Valley. Apple, Google, Intel, and Adobe Systems settled with plaintiffs shortly before a trial was scheduled to begin, in which they would have stood accused of colluding on policies that effectively held down salaries in the tech industry. The case underscores how employers need to be careful when entering into any agreement with competitors over the hiring of staff. Companies routinely enter into such “no-poaching” agreements, often when settling litigation over a restrictive covenant.