Court of Appeal on Restrictive Covenant on Dissolution of Partnership

David Alderson, LL.B, LL.M (Commercial and Corporate), Lawyer, Qualified Arbitrator and MediatorBusiness Litigation, Civil Litigation, Commercial and Contract Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Contract Disputes, Contract Termination, Joint Venture Disputes, Partnership Dispute, Partnerships and Shareholder Disputes0 Comments

The Court of Appeal for Ontario released its decision on February 11, 2014, in  Greenaway v Sovran 2014 ONCA 110 on the appeal by a “withdrawing” partner  of a two-member firm from the decision of the Superior Court of Justice on an application to determine the enforceability of a “restrictive covenant” in their partnership agreement. The application judge found that the two-member firm partnership had been dissolved and declared the restrictive covenant unenforceable as a penalty, but directed a trial of an issue to determine the damages payable by the appellant as a result of a breach of the portion of the portion of the covenant he found valid and severable – the withdrawal having triggered a clause in the agreement which called for the reduction of the withdrawing partner’s capital account “by 500% of the average fees billed by the firm to clients who transfer to the withdrawing partner within 24 … Read More