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United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Key definition
Springboard injunction definition What does Springboard injunction mean? A springboard injunction is a court order that temporarily restrains a competitor—often a departing employee or team—from exploiting a head start gained through unlawful conduct such as misuse of confidential information, breach of confidence, breach of fiduciary duty or breach of restrictive covenants. It is not a statutory term but a case law label used across employment, commercial and IP contexts. In Scotland the equivalent remedy is interdict (often interim interdict). Key features: - Purpose: to neutralise the unfair competitive advantage, not to punish or to prevent lawful competition. - Scope and duration: tailored and time‑limited to the period reasonably needed to remove...
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Interim springboard injunctions in employee competition to remove unfair head-starts: principles, evidential thresholds, and limits on duration and scope (England and Wales)
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Practice notes
Interim ‘springboard’ injunctions
This Practice Note examines the character and reach of interim ‘springboard’ injunctions, deployed to stop a transgressor securing an unfair competitive advantage arising from unlawful conduct. It addresses the particular circumstances in which an employer may seek a Springboard injunction to curb the actions of a former employee, the evidential requirements that must be met to obtain the order, and the means by which protection is delivered in practice. It also considers how the length and breadth of the injunction can be confined and tailored.
On occasion, an employer will pursue an injunction to shield themselves from the conduct of a former employee who, before employment ended, breached a post-termination restriction (restrictive covenant) or misused the employer’s confidential information and, by that misuse, gained an unfair competitive advantage over their former employer. An interim order intended to neutralise any unfair competitive advantage that might be obtained through misuse of an employer’s confidential information, breach of contract, or the commission of a tort, is commonly called a ‘springboard’ injunction—the springboard signifies the employee’s behaviour enabling them to ‘spring ahead’ and secure an initial lead in competing. The injunction can be granted even though...
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Web page updated on 21/05/2026
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