Italian Colors Restaurant, asks a second fundamental question: How far can businesses go in asking their customers to sign agreements prohibiting them from joining in class actions, which would solve the problem above?

FORBES: Supreme Court Asked: Are Class Actions Sacred?

Other forms of compensation might be clawed back as well, and founders might be required to sign noncompete agreements prohibiting them from engaging in the same business for a specified period after leaving the acquirer.

WSJ: Start-Ups Get Snapped Up for Their Talent

Ben Waber, chief executive of Sociometric Solutions, which he based on his doctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says a handful of managers have wanted to see the data on an individual employee, but that his clients must sign contracts and consent forms prohibiting them from doing so.

WSJ: Tracking Sensors Invade the Workplace

One of Kahn's first tasks was to shepherd through a stringent code of conduct prohibiting such behavior, and make each cop sign it.

FORBES: Beer baron turns top cop

The complaint also alleges that in addition to covering up the fraud scheme, CAIR forced angry clients who were demanding a return of their legal fees to sign a release that bought the client-victims' silence by prohibiting them from informing law enforcement or the media about the fraud.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy