tips | Rachel Bouman

Why Non-Compete Agreements Matter

April 21, 2015 by Rachel Bouman

As a company looking to hire employees, it may be important to consider sending out non-compete or non-solicitation agreements. Stephanie Hendricks of Hendricks Law Firm PLLC explains that a non-compete form restricts an employee from joining a company that may be considered competition upon exiting the present business. This provision typically stands for a period of time occurring directly after the employee decides to leave. Non-solicitation includes not allowing past employees to divert clients or employees away from the business.

Provisions such as these are important to help safeguard the company. Employees are often exposed to confidential information that help the company function. It is a valuable step to protect this information especially in the case of an employee’s termination. Without this protection, nothing would stop an individual from taking the business’ clients or employees in order to start their own lucrative project.

If a document including non-compete and non-solicitation provisions is not signed, little else can be done to protect the business’ important information. If a suspicion arises, a lawsuit would have to take shape in order to validate the claim. The offense would have to result in a quite volatile interference with business processes. It is possible to reach a solution through a case like this, however a lot more money and time can be saved with a precautionary document signed in the early stages.

Stephanie Hendricks offers more than 15 years of experience in sharing legal advice for business operations. To read more from her on the topic of non-compete forms, visit HG.org here.

Career Advice for Women From a Former Legal Counsel

March 20, 2015 by Rachel Bouman

Lorna Borenstein is a former Legal Counsel at Hewlett Packard who transitioned to the consumer technology industry as an entrepreneur. Over the course of her career, she learned several lessons of how to maintain her health and drive. Here she shares tips for women looking to begin their own businesses, how to maintain a work-life balance, challenges in the workplace and more.

Advice to Budding Entrepreneurs

Beginning your own business is a challenge. Most likely the topic of interest is an area where you have a lot of passion. However, there are other things to be mindful of throughout your business journey.

Keep your health as a top priority. Be sure to eat enough, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep.
Go on vacation. Stepping away from daily tasks to just enjoy some free time will leave you with some new energy to get back to the routine once you return. Your absence can also be a positive in terms of spurring individual growth as your team figures out how to excel without you present.
Have fun with your colleagues and staff. Laughing is an excellent way to foster relationships at work. Making this a priority will in turn boost productivity.

Work-Life Balance

As a busy person with family obligations, it can be a challenge to set aside me-time. Feelings of guilt may have a tendency to arise when being alone due to the number of people asking for your time. Realize that your personal health is key and should come first before doling out your resources to others. There are several methods that can be used in to help yourself personally.

Exercise or practice yoga every day.
Sleep for eight hours each night.
Reserve weekends for family and friends.

Challenges in the Workplace

Lorna points out that even in today’s times, sexism is still an issue. During the time she practiced as a lawyer, it was not uncommon for a client to assume she was an assistant. She would receive requests for coffee and had to politely offer to find someone that would help with that request. This reaction usual resulted in a sense of embarrassment on the client’s side, although each instance was simply a learning experience for Ms. Lorna.

To hear more career and business advice from Lorna Borenstein, visit Huff Post here.

Resume Advice From a Legal Recruiter

February 3, 2015 by Rachel Bouman

Review these steps to make a better first impression with your resume.

Find a way to make the most relevant information stand out. Bold, bullet points, and headings are a few ways to make the most necessary lines more prominent.
Adjust your resume for the exact job to which you are applying. Deleting old information will make your resume even more relevant. Also, if applying to both general litigation and patent litigation spots, have two versions of your resume available. Each one should be tailored to the type of position you desire.
Anything included on the resume should be able to be discussed in a very professional and intelligent manner. Brush up on anything that may have slipped your mind or simply delete it from the document. Have details regarding the legal matters worked on ready.
Give firm examples related to the experiences listed on the resume. Be direct when explaining your role in a project. Don’t just say that you “worked on” a project, include that you “successfully implemented” a project.
Review all information and make sure the details are up to date. Competence in abilities such as languages should also be honestly assessed. If you used to be advanced but have more of an intermediate handle on French now, be sure to make that adjustment.
Display that you are human by sharing your interests. This aspect can help the interviewer lighten the mood and ask you a question related your hobbies. There is a chance the applicant may have something in common with the interviewer.
When trying to decide whether to list education or experience first, think of what you are trying to convey first. If you attended a top school, include that first. Alternatively, if your past work experience sounds more impressive, insert that near the top of the page.
Proofread the resume multiple times. Remember to share it with someone else to review as well. Mistakes and typing errors are big deterrents for recruiters looking to hire.

For more resume tips from a Lateral Link Legal Recruiter, visit AboveTheLaw.com here.