Court Opinion

ID: 9854364
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:06:29.455297+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:02.503426
License: Public Domain

Weltner, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
The holding in Guffey v. Shelnut & Assoc., 247 Ga. 667, 670 (278 SE2d 371) (1981) is:
Although a covenant prohibiting solicitation of the employer’s customers is less restrictive than a covenant prohibiting competition, both must specify the territory in which the employee is to be foreclosed. A covenant prohibiting solicitation of the employer’s customers which does not specify the territory is unenforceable.1
It is established in Guffey that “a covenant prohibiting solicitation of the employer’s customers is less restrictive than a covenant prohibiting competition. . . .” Id. Because we do not apply to such covenants all of the limitations that pertain to covenants not to compete, Howard Schultz & Assoc. v. Broniec, 239 Ga. 181 (236 SE2d 265) (1977), relied upon by the majority, is not controlling.
Rather, the inquiry should be whether in this case it is unreasonable to require a district sales manager to covenant not to solicit his employer’s customers in an 18 county area when, in twelve of those counties, Royal Cup had customers.2 Where Royal Cup had no customers, the restraint upon Wiley is almost illusory, as it prohibits the solicitation of “customers” that do not exist.
I suggest that this limitation is entirely reasonable. Wiley should be held to his covenants.
I am authorized to state that Chief Justice Marshall joins in this *361dissent.
Decided June 30, 1988.
Kessler & Sparks, Steward A. Sparks III, for appellant.
Wildman, Harrold, Allen, Dixon & Branch, Thomas B. Branch III, for appellee.

 The covenant prohibiting solicitation in this case does “specify the territory in which the employee , is to be foreclosed,” proscribing solicitation in 18 named Georgia counties.

 According to 1980 census data, the twelve counties include 89.6% of the population of the 18 county area.