Former IBM exec cleared to work at Dell

U.S. judge Stephen Robinson has denied IBM's request to bar a former executive from working at Dell. The suit stemmed from IBM's concerns over Robinson taking trade secrets with him. Johnson had been IBM's vice president of corporate development and had worked at IBM for 27 years. He jumped to rival company Dell last month: A move that clearly angered Big Blue.

IBM requires executives to sign noncompete agreements to continue receiving equity benefits. According to an article in ComputerWorld.com, Johnson signed the agreement on the wrong line because he disagreed with the agreement. Despite the misplaced signature, IBM argued that Johnson had signed the noncompete agreement. The judge disagreed and also ruled that Johnson did not have access to IBM trade secrets.

For any IT executive currently contemplating a new job at a competing company, this ruling is good news. It makes it harder for a company to block an employee's departure, even one who has been on the job as long as Johnson.

For more on this article:
- check out this ComputerWorld.com article

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