I've been part of 5x consultancies in my career now, so this is a very heated debate.
- First, if you "steal" a client roster, then this is very clearly a trade secret and sits under different terms ("IP")
- Second, if I can do the same job (e.g. that don't require access to trade secrets) then why do I need the consultancy's benefit anyway? If the consultancy's brand/operations don't provide enough value to its clients already then maybe they (the consultancy) are doing something wrong. It's a consultancy's job to create value for its clients, consultants and it's partners, otherwise it's just a body shop.
- Third, "is it really OK?" by whose definition? Are you saying ethically?
> If they make the decision independently without being lobbied by a former employee, it's not in violation of non-solicit.
Why does it matter whether the employee is lobbied or not? The employee ultimately has free will.
If we believe that the free movement of jobs is a net benefit (both in terms of wage normalization and societal innovation) then aren't those things we would want as a society?