Are non-competes enforceable as part of membership agreements with martial arts schools?
Non-compete agreements can be entered into in a variety of contexts. Typically, they are entered into in the employment context between employers and employees. Sometimes non-compete agreements are applied to independent contractors or consultants. Non-compete agreements are common in the context of a business sale. Finally, you will frequently see non-competes in the context of relationships involving suppliers, distributors, sales representatives, etc. Your non-compete agreement is somewhat unique. It is essentially an agreement between a private business and its customers. While this is unusual, and may make it easier for you to challenge the agreement, the agreement would need to be analyzed under Minnesota legal principles governing the enforceability of non-compete agreements. First, the Minnesota non-compete agreement must be supported by legal consideration. This means you must have received something of value in exchange for signing the non-compete agreement. Presumably, what
