Harris v. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, No. 05-2005, (8th Cir. February 10, 2006)
Articles Discussing Case:
Recent Ruling Addresses Enforceability Of Settlement Agreements (pdf).
Ogletree Deakins • May 10, 2006
A thorny problem in settling employment
cases often arises when an employee
has a change of heart after accepting
a settlement offer and either refuses
to sign a written agreement or attempts
to set aside the agreement by
claiming that it was a mistake, was
based on bad advice from his or her
counsel, or was never authorized. A
recent federal appellate court decision
demonstrates that the employee has a
very heavy burden of proof in such situations,
and employers usually will be
able to hold the employee to the agreement.
