Opinion ID: 409265
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Restrictions based upon mutual agency

Text: 79 The plaintiff's final request for additional relief suggests that because of the defendants' close relationships among themselves, their rotation of former Medtronic territories to serve as temporary Intermedics territories, and their habit of covering each other's surgeries, each defendant should be enjoined from entering the former Medtronic territory of either of his co-defendants for the remainder of the 360-day non-competition period. The court rejects the plaintiff's argument. 80 The court recognizes that attempts to circumvent restrictive covenants may, in some cases, justify restraints on non-parties to the covenants. See Arwell Division of Orkin Exterminating Co. v. Kendrick, 131 Ill.App.2d 632, 267 N.E.2d 352 (3d Dist. 1971) (wife held to be bound by husband's non-competition agreement). Nevertheless, the court cannot find that the defendants here were so identified with each other as to be considered each other's agents or alter egos, and will not restrict them from each other's former Medtronic territories. Of course, none of the defendants is free to reenter his own former territory for the purpose of introducing one of his codefendants to potential customers, and the defendants are not free, under the terms of the non-competition agreement, to impart to each other any confidential information they might possess regarding particular contacts within their former Medtronic territories. Any such contacts or information would represent an impermissible attempt to appropriate Medtronic's protectible customer relationships discussed above. See Donald McElroy, Inc. v. Delaney, 72 Ill.App.3d at 291-2, 27 Ill.Dec. 892, 389 N.E.2d 1300.