Insights
Client Alert
Significant Change in the Law Governing Restrictive Covenants in Illinois
November 10, 2009
Kenneth W. Gage
For years, the enforcement of restrictive covenants in Illinois has been contingent on proof of a legitimate business interest to support the covenant. In a dramatic departure from uniform statewide precedent, the Appellate Court, Fourth District, recently abandoned the legitimate business interest test in favor of the reasonableness test applied in many other jurisdictions. This creates new opportunities for the enforcement of restrictive covenants in Illinois.