Non-Compete & Restrictive Covenant Attorney in Northern Virginia
Protect Your Business, or Your Right to Work
Restrictive covenants decide who can compete, who can solicit, and what walks out the door. We help Northern Virginia employers and employees draft, enforce, and challenge these agreements under Virginia’s strict rules.
A Restrictive Covenant Is Only Worth What a Court Will Enforce
Non-competes, non-solicits, and confidentiality clauses can look strong on paper, but Virginia courts read them narrowly and strike the ones that reach too far. An overbroad agreement can be worthless to the employer who relied on it, and a needless weight on the employee who signed it.
We work both sides of this. For businesses, we draft covenants that hold up and enforce them when someone crosses the line. For employees, we review what you signed, push back on terms that go too far, and defend you if a former employer comes after you.
Schedule a ConsultationWhere We Step In
- ✓ You want to protect your business with enforceable terms
- ✓ A former employee took clients or trade secrets
- ✓ You were handed a non-compete to sign
- ✓ A former employer is threatening to sue you
- ✓ You are starting a competing venture
- ✓ You need an agreement reviewed before you sign
How We Help
Both Sides of Every Restriction
From drafting an enforceable agreement to fighting one that overreaches, here is where clients rely on us most.
Non-Compete Agreements
We draft non-competes that are reasonable enough to hold up, and we challenge ones that reach too far in time, geography, or scope of work.
DraftingReasonablenessScope
Non-Solicitation Agreements
We protect your client and employee relationships, or contest a non-solicit that is being used to choke off a fair living.
ClientsEmployeesEnforcement
Confidentiality & Trade Secrets
We put real protection around sensitive information with strong NDAs, and we prosecute or defend trade secret claims under Virginia law.
NDATrade secretsVUTSA
Enforcement & Injunctions
When someone breaches, we move fast for injunctions and damages. When you are the one accused, we work to limit or defeat the claim.
InjunctionBreachDamages
Employee-Side Review & Defense
We read what you were asked to sign, explain what actually binds you, negotiate better terms, and stand with you if a former employer pushes.
ReviewNegotiateDefense
Virginia Compliance & Low-Wage Limits
Virginia bans non-competes for many workers and limits the rest. We keep your agreements legal and current as the rules tighten.
StatuteLow-wageCompliance
How We Handle Restrictive Covenants
These cases turn on wording and timing. We give both the attention they demand.
We Draft to the Standard Courts Use
We write covenants the way a judge will read them, reasonable and tied to a real business interest, so they survive a challenge.
We Read Every Word Before You Sign
For employees, we translate the legal language into plain terms and tell you what you are really agreeing to.
We Move Fast When Time Matters
Covenant disputes often hinge on speed. When an injunction is on the table, we act before the damage spreads.
We Know Virginia’s Limits Cold
From the low-wage ban to the reasonableness test, we work inside Virginia’s specific rules every day.
What to Expect
What Working With Us Looks Like
1
Consultation
Tell us your side and your goal, whether that is protection, a clean exit, or a fight already underway.
2
Review the Agreement & Facts
We analyze the language against Virginia law and tell you, plainly, what is enforceable and what is not.
3
Draft, Negotiate, or Demand
We prepare an agreement that holds up, negotiate better terms, or send the demand that protects your position.
4
Enforce or Defend
If it goes to court, we pursue the injunction and damages, or we defend you and work to knock the covenant down.
Attorney Insight
“Most non-competes I see are either too weak to help the business or too broad to survive a courtroom. Virginia judges do not rubber-stamp these. They ask whether the restriction is reasonable, and if it is not, they throw it out. Whether you are protecting a company you built or your own right to earn a living, my job is the same: get you an agreement that holds up, or get you out from under one that should never have been enforced.”
Anthony I. Shin, Esq.
Founder, Shin Law Office
Common Questions
Answers Before You Call
Are non-competes enforceable in Virginia?
Sometimes. Virginia enforces a non-compete only if it is reasonable in duration, geography, and scope, and no broader than needed to protect a legitimate business interest. Agreements that overreach get struck down.
Can my employer stop me from working anywhere in my field?
Rarely. A restriction that bars you from your entire profession is usually too broad to enforce. Courts look for narrowly drawn limits tied to a real interest, not blanket bans on earning a living.
Does Virginia ban non-competes for some workers?
Yes. Virginia law prohibits non-competes for low-wage employees, and the scope of that ban has expanded in recent years. We confirm whether a given agreement is even allowed before anyone tries to enforce it.
What is the difference between a non-compete and a non-solicit?
A non-compete limits where and how you can work. A non-solicit limits whether you can pursue specific clients or coworkers. Non-solicits are often easier to enforce because they are narrower and less of a burden on your livelihood.
My former employee took our clients. What can I do?
Depending on the agreements and the conduct, you may have claims for breach, trade secret misappropriation, or tortious interference. We move quickly, sometimes for an injunction, to stop the harm and recover what you can.
Can I negotiate a non-compete before signing?
Often, yes. Many terms are negotiable, especially scope and duration. We help you ask for changes that protect your future without putting the offer at risk.
What happens if I breach a valid non-compete?
A court can order you to stop and award damages to the employer. That is why it pays to learn whether yours is actually enforceable before you act, and we can tell you where you stand.
Will a court really rewrite or void my agreement?
Virginia courts can refuse to enforce an unreasonable covenant. Whether they trim it or void it depends on the exact wording and the facts, which is why careful drafting matters so much.
Visit Us
Two Offices Serving Northern Virginia
Leesburg Office
Fairfax Office
Phone 571-445-6565 • Fax 703-442-8938 • Cell 571-215-8823
Know Where You Stand Before You Sign or Sue
Whether you are protecting a business or your own livelihood, the wording decides everything. Let us tell you what your agreement is really worth. Serving Leesburg, Fairfax, and all of Northern Virginia.
Prefer to talk now? Reach Anthony I. Shin, Esq. at 571-445-6565.
Based in Loudoun County and serving clients across Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland, we know that when everything’s on the line, the right attorney doesn’t just make a difference, they determine the outcome.
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Copyright © 2025 Shin Law Office, PLC. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2025 Shin Law Office, PLC. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any content on this site is prohibited except for individual, non-commercial, informational use. This limited permission does not allow modification, distribution, or incorporation of any content into other works or publications in any medium. You may not reproduce or distribute content from this site to any third party.