Confidentiality / Non-Compete Agreements

A non-compete agreement (also referred to as a “do not compete,” a “covenant not to compete,” or a “no-compete clause”) is a contract by which one party (typically an employee) agrees not to compete with another party (typically the employer) for some specified period of time.  A non-compete agreement may be created at any time during the employment relationship.  If not signed prior to or on the first day of the employment relationship, some states require the employee to receive some “benefit” (such as a one-time cash payment, raise, or promotion) in exchange for signing the non-compete to make it …