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by hwstar 4082 days ago
If you live in California, non-competes are not allowed under section 16600 of the Business and Professions code. They could file a lawsuit, but it would be thrown out by the California courts. Lawyers have a term for this tactic: "in terrorem". It is used against persons not familiar with the law.
2 comments

That's not entirely true.

There are specific cases where non-competes are valid in California, relating to being the business owner (aka having an equity stake), which OP has, to some degree.

See Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code ยงยง 16602.5 or Wikipedia for more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-compete_clause#Exceptions_-...

OP, time to lawyer up.

I don't think OP is saying that he's starting a competing business in which case, he's not competing. However, it might be his intention though, can't tell.

I believe the question is in regards to "signing" a non-compete on the way out.