How to repair a business relationship after a lawsuit?
September 21, 2010 1:27 PM Subscribe
How should I repair my relationship wth my former employer after a lawsuit?
I worked at a company A for 5 years. While working for them I opened up a rival company. While I did not have a non-compete or any biding agreement not to do this, it wasn’t taken lightly by Company A who fired me as soon as they found out. This led to a lawsuit between us. During mediation, we came to an agreement where I promised to pay them X amount (roughly 75 percent of my salary while I was with them) over the next 4 years and a small stake (ownership) in my company. This whole process was a huge strain on my business and we were very glad to get it over with.
I can totally understand why they were upset and I very upset with myself that I made the decisions that I did. I was young and just out of college when this job started and the lure of having my own company + a bigger payday made me compromise my morals. I loved my time working there, have as much admiration and respect for the owners one can possibly have.
My goals for the future are (in this situation)
1. Repair my relationship with the owners of the other company. This is very important to me.
2. Since they are way bigger in size and resources than us (and now that they own a part of our company), would like to get them more involved with us and see how we can work together.
3. Help them with their business and let them know that I am at their service if they would ever need me (though hard to imagine them needing me or my company).
Long term, I know I can make their investment in our company a profitable one which should help but my questions are:.
1. What should my strategy be short term to accomplish my goals?
2. I would like to initiate contact with them? What would be the best method to do so? Letter, email, meeting, Lunch or drinks (not sure if they would be willing to do that at this point).
3. Any tips that one might have if they have been thru a situation like this?
I worked at a company A for 5 years. While working for them I opened up a rival company. While I did not have a non-compete or any biding agreement not to do this, it wasn’t taken lightly by Company A who fired me as soon as they found out. This led to a lawsuit between us. During mediation, we came to an agreement where I promised to pay them X amount (roughly 75 percent of my salary while I was with them) over the next 4 years and a small stake (ownership) in my company. This whole process was a huge strain on my business and we were very glad to get it over with.
I can totally understand why they were upset and I very upset with myself that I made the decisions that I did. I was young and just out of college when this job started and the lure of having my own company + a bigger payday made me compromise my morals. I loved my time working there, have as much admiration and respect for the owners one can possibly have.
My goals for the future are (in this situation)
1. Repair my relationship with the owners of the other company. This is very important to me.
2. Since they are way bigger in size and resources than us (and now that they own a part of our company), would like to get them more involved with us and see how we can work together.
3. Help them with their business and let them know that I am at their service if they would ever need me (though hard to imagine them needing me or my company).
Long term, I know I can make their investment in our company a profitable one which should help but my questions are:.
1. What should my strategy be short term to accomplish my goals?
2. I would like to initiate contact with them? What would be the best method to do so? Letter, email, meeting, Lunch or drinks (not sure if they would be willing to do that at this point).
3. Any tips that one might have if they have been thru a situation like this?
If you make them money, all will be forgiven. Focus on your business.
posted by fourcheesemac at 2:06 PM on September 21, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by fourcheesemac at 2:06 PM on September 21, 2010 [2 favorites]
Before you jump into forgiveness, check in with your lawyer and go through your settlement agreement. There may be something in there which determines what your contact must be.
posted by juniperesque at 2:58 PM on September 21, 2010
posted by juniperesque at 2:58 PM on September 21, 2010
I can totally understand why they were upset and I very upset with myself that I made the decisions that I did. I was young and just out of college when this job started and the lure of having my own company + a bigger payday made me compromise my morals. I loved my time working there, have as much admiration and respect for the owners one can possibly have.
That has the makings of a good apology, followed by 'I wish you the best, and I hope that at some point we can repair our relationship and begin to work together again.'
And then you leave it alone for a while.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:58 PM on September 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
That has the makings of a good apology, followed by 'I wish you the best, and I hope that at some point we can repair our relationship and begin to work together again.'
And then you leave it alone for a while.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:58 PM on September 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
fourcheesemac: "If you make them money, all will be forgiven. Focus on your business"
I disagree. Taking a stake in your company was not about making money. It was about nor regretting it if your company ever made it big. It was about the principal of working on their time to set up your company.
I think your best bet is time. I would wait a few months and call them telling them you would like to meet to talk about their investment in your company and in you. You want to give them an update. I would apologized and go from there. I think this may take months if not years to accomplish slowly step by step.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 4:13 PM on September 21, 2010
I disagree. Taking a stake in your company was not about making money. It was about nor regretting it if your company ever made it big. It was about the principal of working on their time to set up your company.
I think your best bet is time. I would wait a few months and call them telling them you would like to meet to talk about their investment in your company and in you. You want to give them an update. I would apologized and go from there. I think this may take months if not years to accomplish slowly step by step.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 4:13 PM on September 21, 2010
Did you work for my cousin? One of his employees, a person he was going to promote to a very senior role, was caught out setting up a rival company with the intention of stealing my cousin's clients/suppliers. My cousin is a leader in his field and an ethical and well loved employer. He was very distressed by the actions of his once-admired employee. He felt personally betrayed.
If you were that employee, then my cousin would listen to an apology similar to the second paragraph in your post. He might not act on it immediately or at all, but it would go a long way to restoring some faith and he may consider becoming more involved with you now that you understand the error of your ways. He would speak less harshly, maybe even positively of you to other people. But if he (or a delegate) began working with you again he would keep a close eye on you and it would take a number of years of ethical business behaviour for him to trust you fully again.
In brief, apologising with explicit reference to your immoral and immature mistakes and what you have learned from the experience, but without any request or offer for contact, assistance or involvement, would be a appropriate opening move to restoring some sort of good-faith relationship.
posted by Kerasia at 5:30 PM on September 21, 2010
If you were that employee, then my cousin would listen to an apology similar to the second paragraph in your post. He might not act on it immediately or at all, but it would go a long way to restoring some faith and he may consider becoming more involved with you now that you understand the error of your ways. He would speak less harshly, maybe even positively of you to other people. But if he (or a delegate) began working with you again he would keep a close eye on you and it would take a number of years of ethical business behaviour for him to trust you fully again.
In brief, apologising with explicit reference to your immoral and immature mistakes and what you have learned from the experience, but without any request or offer for contact, assistance or involvement, would be a appropriate opening move to restoring some sort of good-faith relationship.
posted by Kerasia at 5:30 PM on September 21, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by rmhsinc at 1:43 PM on September 21, 2010