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PROSKAUERROSELLP
2049CcnturyParkEast
4
32nd
Floor
LoB'Angeles,
California
90067-3206
5Telephone;
(3.10)557-2900
Facsimile:
(310)557-2193AttorneysfgrPlaintiff
7AaronL.
Mintz
&
UNITEDSTATESDISTRICT
COURT
9
CENTltALDISTRICTOF~CALIFQRNIA
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AARONL.MINTZ,
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caseNCV
12-255.~
COMPLAINT
FOR
D'ECLARATORY
RELIEF
14
MARKBARTELSTEIN
&
ASSOCIATES,
INC.,d/b/aPrioritySports
15
&
Entertainment,
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
242526
27
28
Defendant.
Case:12-cv-02554-SVW-SSDocument1Filed
03/23/12
Page2of20Page
10#:8
6
1
PlaintiffAaron
L.
Mintz("Mintz"),forhisclaimsagainstdefendantMark
2
Bartelstein
&
Associates,Inc.,d/b/aPrioritySports
&
Entertainment(''Bartelstein''),
3
allegesuponknowledgewithrespecttohisownacts,anduponinformationand
4
beliefastoallothermatters,asfollows.
5
INTRODUCTION
1.TheStateofCaliforniahasafundamentalpublicpolicyagainst
7
contractsthatpreventworkersfromengagingintheirlawfulbusinessendeavors.
8
CaliforniaBusinessandProfessionsCode
§
16600providesinpertinentpartthat
9
"everycontractbywhichanyoneisrestrainedfromengaginginalawfulprofession,
10
trade,orbusinessofanykindistothatextentvoid."
11
2.Thiscaseconcernscertainpost-employmentrestrictivecovenantsthat,
12
asamatteroflaw,areunenforceableintheStateofCalifornia.Mintzisanathlete
13
agentrepresentingprofessionalbasketballplayers.OnMarch23,2012,Mintz
14
resignedfromBartelsteintojoinanothersportsagencyinLosAngeles,California.
15
MintzresidedandworkedinLosAngeles,California,throughouthisII-year
16
employmentwithBartelstein.HisemploymentcontractwithBartelsteinprovided
17
that,afterasix-monthprobationaryperiod,BartelsteincouldterminateMintz's
18
employmentforanyreason,ornoreasonatall,butMintzwaspurportedly
19
precludedfromcompetingwithBartelsteinfortwoyearsaftersuchtermination.
20
TheemploymentcontractfurtherprovidedthatBartelsteincouldterminateMintz's
21
employmentwithoutnotice,butthatMintzhadtoprovideatleast14daysnotice.
22
Thisunilateralnoticeperiodisaseparateandindependentunlawfulrestrainton
23
Mintz'sabilitytocompete.
24
3.ThesportsagencyforwhichMintzintendstoworkisaBartelstein
25
competitorlocatedinLosAngeles,California.AnyinjunctionprecludingMintz
26
fromcompetingwithBartelsteinafterseparationfromemploymentwouldentail
27
enforcementoftherestrictivecovenantsinCalifornia.Therefore,therestrictive
28
covenantsareenforceableonlytotheextentpermittedunderCalifornialaw.The
1
Case:12-cv-02554-SVW-SSDocument1Filed
03/23/12
Page3of20Page
10
#:9
1
post-employmentrestrictionscontainedinMintz'semploymentagreementarevoid
2
andunenforceableunderCalifornialaw.MintzisfreetocompetewithBartelstein,
3
andtoserviceanyofhisformerclientswhomaychooseto
hire
him.Therefore,
4
Mintzisentitledtoajudicialdeclarationthattherestrictivecovenantsarevoidand
5
unenforceable.
6
4.Mintzseekstoengageinbusinesswithprofessionalbasketballplayers
7
whoareorwillbeformerclientsofBartelsteinandwhodesireMintztoprovide
8
servicestothem.
9
5.Mintzseeksadeclarationthattherestrictivecovenantsarevoidand
10
unenforceableunderCalifornialaw,sothatMintzmayrepresenthisformerclients
11
inconnectionwithhisnewemployment.
12
6.Ifenforced,thenoncompetitionprovisionsinMintz'semployment
13
contractwouldprohibitMintzfromrepresentinghisformerclients,thusimpairing
14
hisabilitytogeneratesubstantialcommissionsfromathleteswhothemselvesearn
15
substantialcompensationinsalary,marketingcontracts,andcommercial
16
opportunities.
17
JURISDICTIONANDVENUE
18
7.ThisCourthasjurisdictionoverthesubjectmatterofthisaction
19
pursuantto28U.S.C.
§
1332.
20
8.Thepartiesareofdiversecitizenship.MintzisacitizenoftheStateof
21
CaliforniaandresidesinLosAngeles,California.Bartelsteinisacorporation
22
organizedunderthelawsoftheStateofIllinois,withitsprincipalplaceofbusiness
23
inChicago,Dlinois.
24
9.Theamountincontroversyexceeds$75,000,exclusiveofinterestand
25
costs.EnforcementofthenoncompetitionclausewouldcauseMintztoloseincome
26
inanamountsignificantlyinexcessof$75,000.Typically,representation
27
agreementswithathletesprovidefortheagenttoreceiveascompensationforhis
28
servicesapercentageofthegrossvalueofallexistingandfuturecontractsand2
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