Sometimes, the law doesn’t come down to pages of statutes or hours of courtroom drama.
Sometimes, it comes down to one word.
We had a case like that. And honestly—it was a blast to argue.
Our client worked for a marketing company. He applied for a job that had been publicly posted. Nothing secret. Nothing shady. Just a job listing like millions of others online.
Here’s the problem: the company posting the job happened to be a client of his employer.
The marketing company claimed our client violated his non-compete agreement. Why? Because the agreement said he could not “solicit” their clients.
But here’s the question the whole case hinged on:
Is applying to a job soliciting?
We said no.
They said yes.
And the court? The court reached for the dictionary.
We walked the judge through the plain meaning of “solicit.” It means to ask for something, to try to obtain something from someone. We argued our client didn’t do that. He did not reach out. He did not pitch. He did not persuade. He responded to a public ad—just like anyone else would.
The court agreed. No solicitation. No violation.
It’s amazing how one word can change the course of a person’s career. And win or lose a case.
The takeaway?
Words matter.
In contracts. In conversations. In court.
If you’re signing a non-compete, or any agreement really—make sure you understand the words inside it. Because sometimes, that one word can be the line between freedom and a fight.
And in our case?
That one word made all the difference.