They’re back! More employers using noncompete clauses.

“”There has been a definite, significant rise in the use of noncompetes, and not only for high tech, not only for high-skilled knowledge positions.” That’s according to law professor Orly Lobel quoted in the New York Times today. The truth is that noncompetes never went away. They have been used in many industries dating back to the middle ages. They are a perennial source of litigation. Used correctly, they can protect a company’s legitimate interests. Used wrongly, they can unfairly burden workers. And that’s why courts scrutinize them closely. One other thing has always been true: you need skilled and experienced counsel in this tricky area of law.