I know someone who was threatened with a lawsuit over a non-compete contract by a web development contracting company. He consulted with a lawyer in the state the contract was signed, and ended up settling with his original employer for a series of cash payments. It led some people (including myself) to quit the company that sued, but it has also resulted in a number of employees deciding that looking for new employment was too risky. I'm posting under a throwaway for obvious reasons.