California courts may refuse to enforce non-disclosure agreements that are overly broad or vague in their terms. NDAs should have a clear description of the purpose, parties, and duration they cover.
The key elements of Non-Disclosure Agreements: Identification of the parties. Definition of what is deemed to be confidential. The scope of the confidentiality obligation by the receiving party. The exclusions from confidential treatment. The term of the agreement.
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.
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.
An NDA does not necessarily need to be notarized to be valid. The key elements for its validity are mutual agreement, clearly defined terms, and exchange of consideration (which can be the mutual exchange of information).
You don't need a lawyer to create the agreement, but you may need someone with legal expertise to review it.
If you need an NDA, looking at templates online isn't a bad place to start, but ideally you should work with a lawyer who can write a simple NDA for you or tweak the one you have. You may be able to find someone in your community who can do it for a few hundred bucks.
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.
Say this: "In the interest of maintaining good governance with future investors, we're asking that anyone closely involved with this project at this early stage sign an NDA."
How to get out of an NDA. Check for a termination clause. Check the language. Determine if your content is “public domain.” If the content your NDA covers is now known by the public, you may be able to make a case to nullify your NDA from any specific issuer.