[pdshrader]

California startup lawyer here, but not your lawyer. This is not legal advice. There's some misinformation here, so I'll clarify:

- California won't enforce noncompetes, except for a very limited set of circumstances (i.e. selling your business and then starting a competing business).[1]

- If you live and work in California, then you get the benefits of California law (including the noncompete law above), no matter what your employment agreement says. UNLESS you were represented by a lawyer during negotiations and you agreed to a different state's laws. NOTE: This section only applies to employment agreements entered into AFTER Jan 1, 2017.[2]

If your employer tries to pull a fast one and says you are subject to another state's laws, then you can invalidate that clause, and you can get your attorney's fees paid by the employer if you have to litigate it. [2]

[1] CA Business & Professions Code Section 16600-16602.5 Link here: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio.... Note: once you get to get to Section 16603, there are some super weird laws prohibiting bundling horror comic books. Aren't laws fun?

[2] CA Labor Code Section 925. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio....