Regardless of whether you're being asked to sign an NDA or asking someone else to, a nondisclosure agreement means your secrets will stay underground, and if information leaks, there can be serious legal repercussions.
You do not need a lawyer to create and sign a non-disclosure agreement. However, if the information you are trying to protect is important enough to warrant an NDA, you may want to have the document reviewed by someone with legal expertise.
NDAs, or non-disclosure agreements, are legally enforceable contracts that create a confidential relationship between a person who has sensitive information and a person who will gain access to that information. A confidential relationship means one or both parties has a duty not to share that information.
In addition, California's STAND Act and Silenced No More Act make it unlawful for businesses to use nondisclosure agreements to prevent their employees from revealing factual information regarding sexual assaults, workplace harassment, workplace discrimination, or workplace retaliation.
California Legislature Strikes at Confidentiality Clauses in Consumer Refunds and Settlement Agreements. A targeted change to California law will prohibit non-disparagement and similar confidentiality clauses in consumer settlement agreements and refund policies.
NDAs are enforceable when they are signed — if they are properly drafted and executed. NDAs are enforceable once signed, provided they have been drafted and executed properly. Unilateral NDAs need only the signature of the receiving party, whereas mutual non-disclosure agreements need the signatures of both parties.
For decades, noncompete agreements have been almost entirely unenforceable in California. At the end of 2023, the California legislature expanded its ban on noncompetes to encompass contracts entered outside of California by enacting California Business and Professions Code section 16600.5.
You don't need a lawyer to create the agreement, but you may need someone with legal expertise to review it. We recommend consulting with a legal expert to ensure your agreement fully protects your organisation's interests when the document is first created.
To get out of an NDA, you have to be sure that it is legally binding. For example, you cannot be liable for an NDA that covers up illegal activity by the issuer. A lawyer can help you assess your risks and determine how you should move forward.