Legal Question in Employment Law in California
Freelance Designer Contract
Is it legal for a client to make a freelance
designer sign a Non-Competition contract
which states that the freelance designer
agrees to not solicit business from
customers or potential customers of client
for products or services offered by client?
Asked on 1/08/07, 1:14 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Kirschbaum
Law Offices of Michael R. Kirschbaum
Re: Freelance Designer Contract
While non-competition agreements are generally uneforceable in California, there are very narrow exceptions. One such exception is if it is necessary to protect a company's trade secrets. Whether a company's customer list is a trade secret depends on many factors. You will have to provide an attorney with more information and a review of the contract to provide a knowledgable opinion to your question.
Answered on 1/17/07, 6:46 pm