Matt Rowan (Of Counsel-Dallas, TX) and Morgan Wood (Associate-Dallas, TX) successfully defended their client, a utility line services repair company, in a lawsuit brought by a former employee for tortious interference with a contract and declaratory judgment after the employee went to work with a direct competitor in violation of the covenant not to compete. After a three-day bench trial, the court found that the covenant not to compete and nonsolicitation agreement was valid and enforceable against the former employee, that the employee had breached the agreement by going to work immediately with a direct competitor and that the subsequent firing of the plaintiff by the competitor was not due to interference by our client. The court ordered that the plaintiff take nothing from the suit and the covenant not to compete was valid and enforceable under Texas law.