In California, a nondisclosure agreement may be enforceable, provided it meets basic criteria. The restrictive covenant must be properly drafted. This entails clear writing, detailed information about the confidential components of the contract, and a clearly stated extent of the confidentiality obligation.
Typically, a legal professional writing the NDA will complete these steps: Step 1 - Describe the scope. Which information is considered confidential? ... Step 2 - Detail party obligations. Step 3 - Note potential exclusions. Step 4 - Set the term. Step 5 - Spell out consequences.
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.
An NDA could be unenforceable if it is too broad, is not for a defined time period, covers information that is not confidential, or asks for illegal conduct.
Noncompete agreements are void and prohibited by law in California.
Starting January 1, 2025, businesses settling disputes with consumers cannot condition any refund or other consideration on a consumer agreeing not to make statements about the business, regardless of the sentiment or accuracy of those statements. The text of the new Cal. Civ. Code § 1748.50 can be found here.
If a phone call does not resolve remaining issues, the NDA will likely take more than 30 days, and up to several months, to complete. During negotiations, PIs are notified if questions or issues arise. Once the NDA is final, the document is routed for signatures.
There are three types of NDAs: unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral. Read on to learn when you should use each type. You'll also learn how to use a contract management tool like Ironclad to draft and manage them.