Amazon Sues Ex-Employee for Violating Non-Compete Agreement

There’s a neighborhood cloud brawl brewing in Seattle.

Amazon is suing Brian Hall, a former VP of product marketing for Amazon Web Services, who’s now at Google Cloud. Amazon lawyers say Hall violated his non-compete agreement and could take sensitive trade secrets to a rival. Hall’s lawyers say the non-compete clause is “overbroad, unreasonable, and unenforceable,” and that a colleague assured him it wouldn’t be enforced.

Two funny details:

1)Hall tweeted “ummm some personal news?” when acknowledging the suit.

2) Google opened its Seattle Cloud campus last October right across the street from Amazon HQ.

Amazon is the leader in cloud services, but it’s facing strong challenges from Microsoft, Google, and more. Amazon’s lawsuit could have drawbacks for recruiting, making it a less desirable place to work in the eyes of prospective employees. Plus, non-competes are typically not enforceable in California.