Hairdresses need to look at what they sign before they sign it as their contracts often contain non-compete clauses. Exhibit A: Watercolor Salon
The upscale salon sued Deondre Patterson in Madison County Chancery Court in July 2023 for breaching her non-compete clause.
Watercolor hired Patterson in 2018. Patterson signed an agreement (posted below) that stated:
The contract repeatedly stated that information such as client lists was confidential and proprietary.
Patterson opened her own salon, Chateau Beaute Salon in Ridgeland, less than three miles from Watercolor's Maywood Mart location. Watercolor promptly informed Patterson she violated the contract:
The letter fell on deaf ears as Patterson opened another salon in Flora, less than 15 miles from Watercolor's Ridgeland location on Jackson Street. The plaintiff alleged Patterson "bragged on social media" she was soliciting clients from Watercolor.
Watercolor sent a cease and desist letter to Patterson who in turn claimed she was outside the 15-mile radius. However, her now-former employer replied she was within ten miles of the Ridgeland salon.
The complaint charged Patterson with breach of contract and unfair competition, Watercolor asked the Court to enjoin Patterson and award $30,000 in liquidated damages.
The case was assigned to Madison County Chancellor Cynthia Brewer.
Judge Brewer pondered it all and denied an injunction against Patterson in August 2025. The Court held the injunction was not necessary to prevent "irreperable harm" and the "threatened injury to the plaintiff did not outweigh the harm to the defendant. However, Judge Brewer held the contract was binding and enforceable.
The Court decreed Patterson breached the non-compete clause and ordered her to pay liquidated damages of $30,000 as well as attorney's fees to Watercolor.
Judge Brewer denied Patterson's motion for reconsideration in December.
Attorneys Michael Anderson and Roy Lidell of Wells, Marble, & Hurst fame represented the plaintiff. Aisha Sanders, Esq. represented the defendant.
Kingfish note: Some may find the non-compete clause distasteful but a contract is a contract. Barbers, hairdressers, and stylists need to read what they sign before they sign it.
39 comments:
Anybody taking bets on whether she actually has $30k?
However, many noncompetes are not equitable and thus not enforceable under law.
Women are the most toxic creatures on the planet.
Never date girls named Tiffany or those that are hair dressers, you can thank me later.
It’s not uncommon for hair stylists to move salons and for their clients to follow them to the new location. Is this salon claiming all clients in their system “ belong” to them?
Speaking of toxic women, I once knew a boutique owner who was furious when former employees had the audacity to open their own boutique businesses, sometimes 50-100 miles away. A toxic, narcissistic you-know-what. Always “me” “mine” and “my” in every social media business post.
Any smart person does this. learn everything you can about your current employer. Learn all of their strengths and weaknesses and exfiltrate as much proprietary info as you can. Then either take it you their competitors or start your own company and exploit their weaknesses for your personal gain and profit. You can give yourself a serious head start. Fuck corporate loyalty. They will never be loyal to you.
We're just a ambulance chaser's retainer fee away from these beauty whackjobs requiring their customers to sign liability releases and NDAs to obtain perms and whatever the heel else they do in these salons. Backed up by mandatory arbitration if the client's not happy with whatever!
These the same folks? With the short end?
3:13-CV-00294
The St. Joe Company v. Watercolor Salon, LLC et al
Nature of Suit 840 Property Rights - Trademark
They've already been tho the Mississippi Supreme Court at least once for similar!
WATERCOLOR SALON LLC v. HIXON (2022)
Supreme Court of Mississippi.
WATERCOLOR SALON LLC v. Nealie HIXON
NO. 2021-IA-01151-SCT
Decided: December 01, 2022
Sounds like my ex-wife, I need to buy a new vehicle but the money I earned is mine but savings I can use even if I didn’t put anything in. Non competes for only the beauticians customers are not enforceable but if you contact other customers there is a problem. They will spend more money on this than it is worth.
The $30k was probably less than the attorney fees.
This is a hairy and permanent situation but it will blow over but don't just brush it off.
"We're just a ambulance chaser's retainer fee away"
Personal injury attorneys usually work on a contingency fee basis, not on retainers.
"Learn all of their strengths and weaknesses and exfiltrate as much proprietary info as you can. Then either take it you their competitors or start your own company and exploit their weaknesses for your personal gain and profit. You can give yourself a serious head start."
Until clients and others in your industry realize you're a piece of sh*t and avoid you like the plague.
"Women are the most toxic creatures on the planet."
Substitute "incels" for "women" and I'd be inclined to agree with you.
12:14, Some women are, in fact, toxic. No doubt about it.
But if all women are toxic, then it's time to look in the mirror.
"Hairdresses" are all the fashion.
Somewhere mike is laughing at this
@2:49 PM
Never happens
You won the internet today.
Definitely.
Non-compete agreements are legal contracts, but they are particlularly nasty toward the employed person and are totally designed to protect the business. And it's not just to prevent them from opening a competing business. It even prevents a signee from taking a better, higher-paying job within the specified area, which is usually where the employee lives.
Yes he is.
I see it all the damn time in Mississippi, but I’m embarrassed for a company that requires employees to sign non-competes for such a position. The legislature should end this practice. If you’re an employer reading this that requires a non-compete on hair stylists, entry level sales roles, other non technical roles etc. go jump off a damn bridge.
A buddy of mine had to sign a similar contract when he was flying a crop duster "free lance" during the late 1980's.
I guess in 2026 ...agricultural aviation is now on par with hair extensions and fake nails.
if you are losing customers, maybe it is you and not the new shop.
just saying.
non-compete clauses should be illegal because it denies the ability for a person to earn a living. I hope Watercolor Salon gets bad press from this.
Non-competes in MS, unless they involve medical professionals, are enforceable only if reasonable in time and geographic scope.
Non competes are for the weak business owners who offer nothing else. If someone leaves and they cannot maintain most of the clients that is on the business owner for offering subpar services.
I’ve seen a Mississippi company go after employees making $12 an hour answering phone calls and taking payment who switched to a bank teller role making $15 an hour. It’s pathetic and lil penis syndrome.
If every new hire can learn the customers and attempt to steer them away from the business then that would be the law of the land and not many people would hire anymore. It really is a shitty thing to do. Effective but shitty and FU to anyone who is stupid enough to say the original business should do more to keep every employee and offer what to the gullible lead away by thieves? Job was good enough to take then when they realize they can open their own the cry.
Sounds like the salon had a couple of solid attorneys.
@thelaw - We need "thelaw" commenter to weigh in on non-compete clauses. This person usually has a good take on legal issues. #Weneedthelaw #thepeoplerequestthelaw
@7:55: Since asked, I’ll give my thoughts. Let me start by saying I’ve been involved in cases that I may not necessarily agree with the positions (I think any good attorney needs to be able to bifurcate). But if you’re asking my personal opinion—I’d vote against noncompetes. There are several contract provisions that are struck down on “public policy” grounds. If you start with public policy (not just the contracting parties), competition leads to the greatest amount of innovation—and innovation creates economic prosperity. It’s not just “free markets” (as even “free markets” have monopolies). Monopolies stifle innovation. Some of the greatest economists spoke out against monopolies (Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, etc.). So on public-policy grounds, noncompetes violate what I believe leads to economic prosperity. On the employer side, I understand not wanting to train/educate/invest in your own competition. You spend a bunch of time and money building someone up—only to have them use those skills and experience to fleece your business. I get wanting to protect against that. On the other hand, limiting competitive forces harms the employee’s ability to make a living and restricts—what could be—a better market solution. If you truly believe you offer a better product or service, then outwork your competition. But as KF said, the employee voluntarily signs these contracts. And people should read the agreements they sign. I get all of that. On balance, though, if I were king for a day, I’d debar noncompetes. Competition is the lifeblood of economic success. And plenty of legal principles contemplate public policies like this.
Interesting since Todd and Christa poached their clients from wavelengths when they left, including myself. Finally had to leave them right before Covid bc she kept making Todd do my hair even though my appt was with her. Final straw was Todd repeatedly slipping through my highlights and leaving me with stripes after sitting for hours waiting. They should be ashamed, but they aren’t.
@ 3:43, the difference is that the Wavelengths people have integrity. Paul and Gale Fisher are honest people of great character.
Dem Lawmakers Demand Probe Into Pentagon Officials Saying Iran War 'God's Divine Plan'
Dozens of US Democratic lawmakers have called for an investigation into allegations that military commanders are portraying the war on Iran as part of biblical prophecy, according to reporting by Military.com, citing complaints from service members and a letter sent to the Department of War inspector general last week.
The request follows hundreds of reports that officers told troops the campaign against Iran is "divinely ordained" and that President Donald Trump has been "anointed by Jesus“
Lawmakers warned that invoking religious prophecy to justify military operations could violate constitutional protections and War Department rules requiring religious neutrality.
The controversy began after an anonymous non-commissioned officer contacted the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) on behalf of several soldiers in a unit stationed outside the Iran combat zone.
The individual wrote that a commander urged personnel to view the war as "all part of God’s divine plan," while citing passages from the Book of Revelation.
According to the complaint, the officer told troops that "President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth."
MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein told Military.com that the organization logged more than 200 similar complaints between Saturday and Tuesday afternoon, with reports coming from personnel stationed at 50 military installations across all branches of the US armed forces.
In a letter sent to Inspector General Platte B. Moring III, members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus and other lawmakers warned that "justifying a war based on interpretations of biblical prophecies" and telling troops they are risking their lives to advance a religious vision raises serious constitutional concerns.
The consumer/customer is always best served by competition, says any two-fisted business owner, until it’s his / her business with an upstart competitor
Reasonable non-compete agreements are one of the few tools salon owners have to protect the investment they make in building a brand that helps generate clients for stylists in the first place. No one is forced to work at a salon with a non-compete. But if you sign an agreement when you start, you should be prepared to honor that commitment — or accept that there may be legal consequences. Contracts should absolutely be clear and reasonable. But a document that protects a company that created an opportunity and took a chance on someone with no book of business isn’t unfair— it’s responsible business practice.
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