Noncompete Ban: FTC needs a pause, companies need a plan 

Companies in this country have been using noncompete agreements for over 200 years. Sometimes the use has been necessary. Sometimes it has not. While I am no fan of noncompetes in the abstract, they are necessary for some workers in some roles in some industries.

Recognizing that need, every state except four (California, Minnesota, North Dakota and Oklahoma) permits companies to use reasonable noncompetes to protect trade secrets. Many states also permit the use of noncompetes to protect...