We Are Ohio and Florida Non-Compete Lawyers
and We Help You Move Forward
The era of employer overreach is over.
Non-competes and restrictive covenants are often used the same way: not to “protect trade secrets,” but to control your options. Employers count on fear and uncertainty, hoping you’ll walk away from a better opportunity, stay stuck, or accept worse terms because you don’t know what’s enforceable and what’s bluff.
Reel Legal Counsel provides non-compete counseling for employees across Ohio and Florida. Before you resign, before you announce your next move, and before the threats start, we step in alongside you. We help you understand what your agreement actually says, what the law will likely enforce, and what steps you can take now to reduce risk, protect your reputation, and keep your career moving.
What is “Non-Compete Counseling”?
Non-compete counseling is pre-dispute legal strategy. It’s designed for employees who want to change jobs, start a business, or compete fairly without triggering a lawsuit, an injunction, or a “trade secret” accusation.
This is not theory. It’s a practical plan:
What you can do
What you shouldn’t do
What you can do to lower the temperature and avoid escalation
And what to do if your employer pushes back
Schedule a time to meet with us today to discuss your options.
What we review is rarely just one document.
Rarely are employees bound by just a non-compete. Often times they are dressed up and scattered throughout a series of documents you signed either at the beginning of your employment or at some point thereafter. We evaluate:
All types of restrictive covenant agreements (e.g. non-compete, non-solicitation, confidentiality, non-circumvention, etc.)
Invention assignment agreements
Employer policies
Employment agreements
Who is non-compete counseling for?
This service is for you if:
You’re considering a new job and you signed a non-compete, non-solicit, or confidentiality agreement
You’re unsure what the agreement says and how it could be enforced against you
You want to avoid being accused of trade secret theft
You’re in sales, leadership, engineering, healthcare, finance, or any role with customer access or proprietary information
You want a risk-clearance plan before you resign
A straight forward assessment of whether you have a case
A clear explanation of risks, timelines, and potential outcomes
A strategy focused on the facts
Preparation for negotiation backed by trial-ready litigation
Timing matters. The best time to protect yourself is before threats and litigation enter the picture. Once an employer believes you’re competing, they often move quickly, sometimes with demand letters, and other times with emergency court filings designed to freeze your next opportunity, job, or venture.
What You Can Expect From Working With Us
Not Sure Where To Start? Browse These FAQs
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Sometimes, yes. But we heavily scrutinize these agreements to determine whether they are overbroad and thus unenforceable under the law.
Enforceability depends on the restriction’s scope and whether it’s reasonable in light of your role and the employer’s legitimate interests. We asses your actual risk and build a plan.
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Accusations are not proof. However, employers can argue that while you may not have taken any files, you have copied them or otherwise “misappropriated” them in a way so that you can use them independent from your employer.
The goal is to prevent escalation and to mitigate exposure as efficiently as possible. This begins with heavily scrutinizing whether what they consider “trade secrets” are, in fact, trade secrets.
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Often, yes. A new employer may be willing to adjust your role, territory, accounts, or start date to reduce risk.
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Speed matters. We can respond quickly, push back on overreach, and pursue practical solutions. If litigation is unavoidable, we defend you aggressively while protecting your ability to work.
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Before you resign, you want a clean, defensible transition. That means you stop any questionable access, don’t forward or download company materials, and don’t delete anything. We review your agreements and build a practical exit plan for you that includes, what to do, what not to do, and how to communicate.
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Usually, no. In most situations you are not required to disclose your next employer. We help you plan a clean resignation, decide what (if anything) to disclose, and communicate in a way that protects your next move while keeping you on solid footing if questions or threats follow.
Contact Us
For a free case evaluation, please provide your contact information and brief explanation of your matter. Someone from our team will reach out to you to schedule your evaluation call.