LegalHuman Capital
Non-Solicit
Also known as: Non-solicitation agreement, non-solicitation clause, employee non-solicit
A contractual restriction that bars the seller from recruiting, hiring, or soliciting employees or contractors of the acquired company for a defined period after closing.
WHY IT MATTERS
A non-solicit prevents the departing founder from poaching the team they built. The restriction typically runs 2 to 3 years and applies even if the employee initiates contact. In the Crossfield deal, neither founder could hire anyone from their former company — including people they had worked with for over a decade. Non-solicits interact with other restrictive covenants. When combined with non-competes, non-disparagement, and confidentiality provisions, they form a stack of restrictions that limits the founder's professional options well beyond the non-compete's geographic fence.