Noncompete Agreements
HRS 480-4 — void in a technology business employee's contract
A noncompete or nonsolicit clause in an employment contract with an employee of a technology business is prohibited and void. An agreement not to use the employer's trade secrets, for as long as reasonably necessary and without undue hardship, is allowed.
Who handles this in Hawaii: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Hawaii directory.
- A seller of a business may agree not to compete within a reasonable area and time.
- A withdrawing partner may agree not to compete with the partnership within a reasonable area and time.
- Any of these is unlawful where its effect may be substantially to lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly.
Sources for this section (1)
- HRS 480-4 — Combinations in restraint of trade, price-fixing and limitation of production prohibited
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Hawaii attorney.