Pursuing clients

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Michigan

I have been fired from a sales job. I want to pursue clients that I had there for a new company. I never signed a non-compete, am personal friends with many of these clients (after years), and the boss has mistreated me. I do not feel bound by ethics, as this boss is extremely unethical himself and has mistreated many. Does he have any legal recourse to either: 1.) Stop me, or 2.) Sue me??

Thank you!

Possibly. It depends on how far he wants to take it.

I HAVE seen a situation in which an old employer was able to get a court order prohibiting the employee, newly in business for himself, from either going after clients of the old employer or recruiting other employees to come work for him. However, that was a situation in which the employee had been foolish enough to put in writing his intention of putting the old employer (who was, in fact, very honest and ethical but who had not been willing to give away the store to the employee, either) out of business. The court saw that as a deliberate attempt to interfere with the old employer's business and put a one-year restraint on the new business.

I can't honestly tell you that there's NOTHING the old employer can do, since I did see that one instance. But given the different circumstances, I can tell you that it's not likely that a judge would put a similar restriction on you.

Thanks!

I intend to fly under the radar, and not put anything in writing. I expect it will be months before he figures out what I am up to--hopefully by then he won't care. Thanks so much for your reply.

So instead of quitting because your boss "mistreated" you and wasn't ethical about his dealings, you now boast that you don't need to worry about the ethics of going after his clients.
For my part, I would be hesistant about working with someone who decides so easily when ethics apply and when they don't.

Don't expect to "fly under the radar" so easily. Some people quit the company I work for one day, and by the next we knew that they had formed a company to compete with us. We were as worried about them as McDonald's is about Sam's Hamburger Haven.

And if you should mention your new enterprise to one of those mistreated employees, you can expect them to tell the people at your old office just as fast as they can.

Having friends as clients can cause enormous problems. Sometimes situations occur where the person has to decide between the friendship and the business. They usually chose the friendship.

And don't be surprised if the old boss decides to come after you. People have been sued for less.