Can we legally prevent a sales team member to take clients when he/she leaves our startup?

Question

We are a startup from France with business over France, UK and US. I would like to ask the question regarding sales team hiring policy. What is the best way to legally prevent a sales associate to take with him/her the clients when he/she leaves our company? Is this possible at all? How should we put this in our contracts? Thank you very much!

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Answers: 2 public & 1 private

Steven weinrieb
Patent Attorney

You should insert a non-compete clause in your employment contract - for a specified period of time, after an employee leaves your company, they cannot engage in the same/competitive company, serve the same clients, whatever - it's pretty much standard employment contract law.

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