That&#x27;s the big thing. When I worked for a small company, if someone came along who had even the most remotely relevant non-compete, the conversation was pretty much over. It was one of the first things we asked before beginning any serious discussion. Just too much potential for cost and risk.<p>Their were also firms in more or less the same industry who were known for having non-competes that basically said, you couldn&#x27;t do the same job for a year with any competitor. I know at least one person who wanted to go out on his own and he took a year off rather than trying to fight it.