EDWARD M. MAZZE
Special to The Providence Journa

* I accepted a job as a salesperson at a competitor's firm. I do not have a noncompete agreement. What am I limited from bringing to the job from my current employer?

You should not divulge any trade secrets or customer information from your current employer. Although you do not have a noncompete agreement, you may have signed a nondisclosure agreement. If so, the company has the right to sue you if you breached this agreement.

A trade secret is any form of information that by way of its secrecy has an economic value and results in a competitive advantage. A customer list may be considered a trade secret if its disclosure is limited. Your employer must demonstrate that it places value on its trade secrets by having policies regarding the confidentiality of information communicated to employees such as salespeople.