Ryanair ordered to pay portion of Bellew's legal costs

A judge has ruled that Ryanair must pay a portion of its former COO Peter Bellew's legal costs of having to defend the airline's failed legal bid to block his move to rivals EasyJet. Ryanair had sought to compel Bellew to comply with a covenant that he would not join a competitor for a year following termination of work with Ryanair. Last month, when dismissing Ryanair's action following an 8 day hearing, justice Senan ruled that a clause in Bellew's contract restraining him from working for another airline for 12 months was unenforceable. While Ryanair had proved it had a legitimate interest in exacting the covenant from Bellew, the judge said it went beyond what Ryanair had shown to be justified. <br/>