First Admitted: 1997, Texas

Professional Webpage: https://zachwolfelaw.com/about/

Bar / Professional Activity:

Member of Garland Walker Inn of Court. Served on Executive Committee.
Houston Bar Association Fun Run Committee (including service as co-chair for two years).

Verdicts / Settlements:

Prevailed in bench trial defending client sued for breach of non-compete. , 2021
Obtained seven-figure verdict for company's wrongful declaration of forfeiture of client's equity for breach of non-compete restriction. , 2024
Briefed and argued appeal of trade secrets case, resulting in dismissal of client for lack of jurisdiction. , 2015
Successfully resolved numerous cases involving officers or employees who left companies to join competing businesses.
Obtained defense verdict against claims for breach of non-compete and misappropriation of trade secrets. , 2015

Videos:

In this video from my YouTube channel, That Non-Compete Lawyer, I cover the basic requirements for enforceability of a Texas non-compete. , Is My Texas Non-Compete Enforceable?, Energy, Oil & Gas, Oilfield Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Technology, 2017
This video covers five common ethical issues that come up for lawyers in departing employee litigation. , Ethical Issues in Departing Employee Litigation, 2020
Is it possible for one Texas trial lawyer to cover the essentials of Texas non-compete litigation in one 30-minute, 15-part video series? There's only one way to find out. , Essentials of Texas Non-Compete Litigation, 2018
In this video from my YouTube channel, That Non-Compete Lawyer, I cover five key legal issues that often come up in a departing employee lawsuit. , What Are the Key Legal Issues in a Departing Employee Lawsuit, Energy, Oil & Gas, Oilfield Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Technology, 2017
In this video from my YouTube channel, That Non-Compete Lawyer, I cover the likely cost of different phases of a typical non-compete lawsuit. , How Much Does a Texas Non-Compete Lawsuit Cost?, Energy, Oil & Gas, Oilfield Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Technology, 2017

Representative Clients:

American Piping Inspection (API) , 2025
Precision Machinery Contractors, 2025
EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, 2020
Eagle Forest Products, 2015

Transactions:

Assisted numerous clients in drafting and/or negotiation of employment agreements, including non-competes.

Pro bono / Community Service:

Pro bono representation of client in family law matter. , 2019
Pro bono representation of employee in departing employee dispute. , 2025

Honors:

TexasBarCLE created the Standing Ovation award to honor volunteers who stand out for their extraordinary energy, commitment of time, and leadership. For 2021 the staff selected seven winners out of a pool of hundreds of speakers. , Standing Ovation award for outstanding CLE speakers, TexasBarCLE, 2021
I received the President’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Houston Bar Association as a co-chair of the HBA John J. Eikenburg Law Week Fun Run., President's Award for Outstanding Service, Houston Bar Association, 2017

Educational Background:

BA in Government, magna cum laude, from Harvard, 1994

White Papers:

Sometimes a Texas non-compete will take the form of forfeiture clause rather than an express prohibition on competing. For example, a company might award equity ownership interests to valued employee, with a clause stating that the employee will forfeit those interests if he competes. Is that a non-compete? And does it matter whether a court classifies it as a noncompete or something else?, When Is a Forfeiture Clause a Non-Compete?, 2019
Originally presented at UT Law CLE's "Non-Compete Essentials" CLE program on February 3, 2021. , Wolfe on Texas Non-Compete Litigation -or- My Big Fat Non-Compete Paper, 2021

Scholarly Lectures / Writings:

Presentation for Advanced Intellectual Property Law course. , Presenter, Trade Secrets Disputes, Texas Bar CLE, 2025
Presentation for UT Law CLE. , Presenter, What Texas Lawyers Need to Know Abou the FTC Non-Compete Rule, 2024
Presentation for Texas Bar CLE's Damages in Civil Litigation course. , Presenter, Non-Compete Damages, 2025
In this paper I cover the essentials of Texas trade secrets litigation (including federal law) in five thousand words or less. , Author, Texas Trade Secrets Law 101, 2021
This is a close-to-comprehensive paper covering the key issues that come up in Texas non-compete litigation. First presented at UT Law CLE's "Non-Compete Essentials" course. , Author, Wolfe on Texas Non-Compete Litigation -or- My Big Fat Texas Non-Compete Paper, 2021
This paper covers claims and defenses under the Texas Securities Act, with comparisons to federal securities law. , Author, Claims and Defenses Under the Texas Securities Act, 2015

Other Outstanding Achievements:

Over the years, my blog posts at fiveminutelaw.com have been repeatedly recognized as top 10 posts of the week by Texas Bar Today.

Firm News (Newsletters):

Sharing lessons from my years of practice in this area. , Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from Ten Years of Departing Employee Litigation
Read this before you shell out money for non-compete advice. , Should You Pay a Lawyer for Non-Compete Advice?
Part 1 of a 3-part series on how to draft a Texas non-compete to maximize the chances of effective enforcement. , Drafting the Bullet-Proof Texas Non-Compete
This is part 2 of my posts on the reasonable time period requirement of Texas non-compete law., The Most Common—and Easily Fixable—Mistake in Texas Noncompete Litigation
This article covers a recurring issue in trade secrets litigation. , Does "Misappropriation" of Trade Secrets Require "Use" or "Disclosure"?
This article covers some common ethical issues that come up for lawyers handling departing employee litigation, including conflicts of interest between joint clients. , Ethical Issues in Departing Employee Litigation
This article explores the dubious foundations of the "Five-Year Rule" in Texas non-compete litigation. , What Is a Reasonable Time Period for a Texas Non-Compete?
This updated article includes a link to my Texas Trade Secrets Law 101 article, which covers the essentials of Texas trade secrets law (including federal law) in five thousand words or less. , Texas Trade Secrets Law 101 (Remastered)
This article discussed Light v. Centel Cellular, the biggest Texas non-compete case of the 1990s, and whether any of the requirements for non-competes in Light still apply today. , Let the Light In: The Legacy of the Most Famous Texas Non-Compete Case
Blog post on whether misappropriation of trade secrets creates a presumption of irreparable injury. , Irreparable Injury, I Presume?, Energy, Oil & Gas, Oilfield Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Technology
This blog post covers tips on how to draft a Texas non-compete to make it as effective as possible. Parts 1-3. , Drafting the Bullet-Proof Non-Compete, Energy, Oil & Gas, Oilfield Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Technology
Blog post explaining Texas law on the doctrine of "impracticability" of performance. , Force Majeure Is Nice, But Have You Tried Impracticability, Energy, Oil & Gas, Oilfield Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Technology

Industry Groups:

Energy
Healthcare
Insurance
Oil & Gas
Oilfield Services
Technology

Zach Wolfe