Non-Disclosure Agreement Disputes in DC

A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a clause in a contract that prevents any party to that contract from disclosing the terms of the contract to people who were not involved in that transaction. These clauses protect the privacy of the parties to the contract and disputes may arise when a party, sometimes an employee, discloses more about the contract to an outside party than they legally should. In other cases, a dispute may arise because the restrictions are too severe, preventing an employee from gaining new employment or soliciting new business after they believe.

Conflict may also be the result of a person publishing or releasing protected or proprietary information that could end up hurting the business. This mainly applies when the information has monetary value that could be diminished by it’s public release. If you are facing any of these conflicts, reach out to one of our local civil litigation attorneys.

What Happens During an NDA Dispute?

A non-disclosure agreement dispute is like any other contract dispute. The parties are going to have to determine what the parties intended, what the contract states can and cannot be disclosed, how long the restriction applies, and whether or not it is something that courts can legally enforce.  They may have to question if the contract is too vague or too broad.

Accordingly, an attorney would deal with these conflicts the same way they deal with other contracts. They could then help a party seek a resolution through agreement modification, nullification, arbitration, or court action.

Identifying Non-Disclosure Clauses

Depending on the situation, an employee or contractor may be asked to sign documents acknowledging the policies and the interests of the company at the start of employment. These documents often contain a non-disclosure or non-solicitation agreement with some other restrictive covenants applying outside of and after employment as they concern confidential information or trade secrets. It is essential that an employee meticulously reviews all legal documents they sign to ensure they remain in compliance and understand the terms completely.

If the company shares confidential information or trade secrets, they should generally not be discussed outside of an official business context. It is also usually a breach of a non-disclosure contract if an employee works to solicit business from either the employers, clients of the firm, or taking any action to poach the employees from that company for a separate but related enterprise.

Consequences of Signing an NDA

The immediate consequences of signing a contract with a non-disclosure agreement is that the person’s ability to discuss or develop their own businesses may be limited if what they doing is built upon information or trade secrets they acquired while working for their prior employer. As a result, a person may be forced to develop their own methods, practices, and clients without assistance from their former employer or any of their proprietary processes. This often means that a person must either be vague or wholly omit information that could belong to their former employer and could potentially harm that firm. An experienced attorney may be essential in a person’s legal compliance to avoid non-disclosure disputes in DC.

Call an Attorney to Fight for You in a DC NDA Conflict

If you are in the middle of a non-disclosure agreement dispute in DC, working with a dedicated lawyer could be your best chance at avoiding severe consequences. Learn more about your rights and responsibilities by contacting an attorney today and scheduling a confidential case consultation.