This Practice Note provides an overview of non-compete agreements between employers and employees. Non-compete agreements are largely dependent on state law. This Note contains general information and is jurisdiction-neutral. For information on state law requirements, see Non-Compete Laws: State Q&A Tool and State Restrictive Covenants Toolkit. For information on non-competes in the health care industry, see Health Care Non-Compete State Law Chart: Overview.

For a 50-state comparison of non-compete laws and requirements generally, see Quick Compare Chart: State Non-Compete Laws.