10th July 2019
In the last few months non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have generated a significant amount of negative press coverage, as notable individuals and organisations have used them to try to conceal questionable behaviour.
While the media focus has been on their use in cases of sexual harassment and bullying, non-disclosure agreements can be very valuable in a variety of legitimate business situations.
Corporate and commercial specialists with Myers & Co Solicitors in Stoke-on-Trent explain how the use of a non-disclosure agreement provides essential protection of commercial information when commencing discussions about any sensitive business deal, such as a company acquisition or disposal, a joint venture or merger, or a licensing or outsourcing arrangement.
At the start of negotiations, it will be necessary to determine how confidential information can be exchanged with a view to achieving an agreement. Often this information is confidential or commercially sensitive, and if it is incorrectly used or disseminated to an unknown third party it can have serious consequences. If you are the party providing the information it may undermine your commercial edge, and if you are the receiver of the information and it is incorrectly disseminated it may expose you to unnecessary litigation.
From the prospective of the party releasing the information, another benefit of a non-disclosure agreement is the control that can be applied if the information is misused. For example, if it becomes apparent that the party receiving the confidential information has no intention of completing an acquisition or entering a trading relationship, but is merely using the information for its own commercial advantage. The owner of the information can take steps to protect its position by triggering the termination provisions, and potentially bring an action for breach of contract or an injunction for the most serious cases.
Whether you are the party giving the information or receiving it, it is beneficial to have a bespoke non-disclosure agreement which is tailored to the particular circumstances.
Broadly speaking, there are two distinct approaches for the drafting of a non-disclosure agreement:
It is crucial you consider carefully your objectives and the format of the agreement before you instruct a solicitor to commence with the drafting of the document, so that you can ensure that it represents your intentions and reflects the scope of the information which is being protected.
If you are the owner of the confidential information, you will want to define the concept of ‘confidential information’ in extremely broad terms to ensuring that your position is fully protected. From an owner’s perspective it could include any information conveyed to the receiving party.
In contrast, if you are being given access to the information you may seek to restrict the extent of the phrase ‘confidential information’ to ensure that the scope of the obligations is not excessive.
Ultimately, both parties need to be pragmatic about the scope and your solicitor will be able to find the appropriate middle ground.
You will need to negotiate who can access the confidential information.
In the event of a business sale or purchase, both a seller and purchaser will be keen to disseminate the confidential information flowing under the non-disclosure agreement with their professional advisers such as accountants, solicitors and technical support teams.
A similar approach arises where the non-disclosure agreement is used in anticipation of a joint venture or an outsourcing contract. In this case, aside from enabling professional advisers to review the confidential information, the party receiving the material may also wish to discuss the proposed scope of work with their sub-contractors and supply chain to ensure that it is priced correctly, and any key risks are identified and managed.
To ensure that confidentiality flows down to third parties, most receiving parties to the information will need to cascade the obligations to third parties by requesting they enter into a like-for-like agreement, or at the very least confirm they understand the nature of the agreement.
The timescale in which the agreement remains valid is often at the discretion of the parties. Ordinarily it is common to see a non-disclosure agreement with a termination provision which is either triggered by virtue of a transaction progressing to completion, or by the parties expressly or implicitly agreeing to stop the exercise of disclosing information.
In a situation where the parties decide to enter into a formal agreement, such as an acquisition or a contract, then the final transactional documentation will often contain bespoke confidentiality clauses. It is beneficial for parties to consider carefully the larger picture in terms of the intention of the parties and discuss this with their solicitor before the drafting and negotiations are commenced.
The non-disclosure agreement will often contain a provision for what should happen to the information if the transaction does not complete. Often the information collated under the agreement may need to be returned. Alternatively, the receiving party may be required to confirm that they have destroyed it. Both parties may wish to include specific provisions in respect of this, and potentially to also provide for checking or verification mechanisms.
For advice on the use of a non-disclosure agreement in advance of sensitive corporate or commercial discussions, please contact us on 01782 525010 or email info@myerssolicitors.co.uk.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.
