A non-disclosure agreement is a legally binding contract between two or more persons, in which a person or business promises to treat specific information as a trade secret and not disclose it to others without proper authorization. A non-disclosure agreement is also known as a confidentiality agreement, confidential disclosure agreement, proprietary information agreement, or secrecy agreement.
A covenant not to compete refers to an agreement to ensure that an employee will not compete against an employer or former employer. By this an employee agrees not to pursue a similar profession or trade in competition against the employer. Restrictions to prevent competition by a former employee are held valid when they are reasonable and necessary to protect the interests of the employer. Courts will closely examine covenants not to compete signed by individuals in order to make sure that they are not unreasonable as to time or geographical area. Courts may also look to public welfare. An agreement between a doctor and a clinic that if the doctor leaves the employ of the clinic, he will not practice within the city in which the clinic is located for the next five years may be held to be invalid if the city needed more than one doctor (assuming there was just one).
A limited liability company (LLC) is a separate legal entity that can conduct business just like a corporation with many of the advantages of a partnership. It is taxed as a partnership. Its owners are called members and receive income from the LLC just as a partner would. There is no tax on the LLC entity itself. The members are not personally liable for the debts and obligations of the entity like partners would be. Basically, an LLC combines the tax advantages of a partnership with the limited liability feature of a corporation.
An LLC is formed by filing articles of organization with the secretary of state in the same type manner that articles of incorporation are filed. The articles must contain the name, purpose, duration, registered agent, and principle office of the LLC. The name of the LLC must contain the words limited liability company or LLC. An LLC is a separate legal entity like a corporation.
A Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC or P.L.L.C.) is a limited liability company organized for the purpose of providing professional services.
