Non-disclosure agreement

Sharing sensitive information with a new partner, investor or employee carries real risk without protection in place. Our non-disclosure agreement solicitors draft and review confidentiality agreements for businesses across Manchester and the UK, keeping your information protected before, during and after any deal.

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Mutual vs One-Way: Getting the Structure Right

Not every NDA should look the same. A mutual agreement protects both sides where information flows both ways, such as in merger talks or a joint venture, while a one-way agreement suits situations where only one party is disclosing, such as sharing a business plan with a prospective investor. Getting this wrong either leaves you unprotected or asks the other side to sign something broader than the deal needs, which can slow negotiations down. Our solicitors in Manchester also review duration, since an NDA that runs indefinitely or for an unreasonably long period can be harder to enforce than one tied to a sensible timeframe.

How Our Non-Disclosure Agreement Solicitors Help Businesses

Whether you are sharing sensitive information for the first time or dealing with a breach, our team handles the legal detail.

NDA Drafting & Review

We draft mutual or one-way non-disclosure agreements tailored to your situation, or review one a counterparty has sent you, checking scope, duration and enforceability before you sign anything that could restrict your business later.

Confidentiality Agreements for Deals

We prepare confidentiality agreements to protect information shared during a business sale, investment round or joint venture negotiation, often before wider due diligence begins, making sure the agreement matches the actual sensitivity of what is being disclosed.

Breach Response & Remedies

If confidential information has been misused, we advise on your options, from a formal letter before action to seeking an injunction, and help you understand what damages you may be entitled to claim.

Employee & Contractor NDAs

We draft confidentiality agreements for staff, contractors and consultants who will have access to sensitive information, setting clear boundaries that protect your business without being unenforceably broad.

Ongoing Compliance Support

We advise on keeping your confidentiality agreements up to date and enforceable as your business relationships change, rather than relying on a generic template that may not hold up when it matters.

What This Means for You

  • An agreement matched to your actual situation, not a generic template.
  • Clear terms on what counts as confidential information.
  • A sensible duration that is actually enforceable.
  • Fixed fee pricing agreed before work begins.
  • Support if a breach happens, not just at signing.

When To Seek Advice

  • Before signing an NDA, a counterparty has drafted for you.
  • Before sharing financial information, trade secrets or customer data.
  • If you suspect confidential information has already been misused.
  • Before issuing NDAs to multiple staff or contractors at once.
  • If an existing agreement is due to expire or needs updating.

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising businesses on confidentiality, commercial contracts and dispute resolution across the UK and internationally. A Solicitor regulated by the SRA (ID: 277854), MCIArb, and DIFC Courts mediator, she founded MAR Legal to give businesses direct access to senior commercial legal advice without the overhead of a traditional firm.

Marium Razzaq - Solicitors in Manchester
Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Why Businesses Choose MAR Legal for Confidentiality Agreements

Fixed Fee Pricing

You know the cost of your agreement before any work begins, with no hidden charges.

Solicitor Led Advice

Every agreement is drafted or reviewed by our qualified confidentiality agreement solicitors.

Fast Turnaround

Straightforward NDAs are often drafted or reviewed within a matter of days.

Commercial Advice

Advice focused on protecting what matters, not unnecessary legal complexity.

Trusted by businesses across the UK for clear, practical advice on protecting confidential information.

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How Our Confidentiality Agreement Process Works

01

Initial Consultation

We understand what information needs protecting and who the agreement is with.

02

Drafting or Review

We draft a new agreement or review one you have been sent.

03

Negotiation

We agree any changes needed with the other party’s advisers.

04

Signing & Ongoing Support

We finalise the agreement and remain on hand if a breach or dispute arises.

What Our Clients Say

You may also need help with:

NDAs often come up alongside wider commercial deals. You may also want advice on a business sale or purchase, a share purchase agreement, or our broader corporate and commercial support.

FAQs: Common Questions About Non-Disclosure Agreements

A confidentiality agreement, also called a non-disclosure agreement or NDA, is a contract that restricts how a party can use or share information disclosed to them. It can be mutual, protecting both sides where information flows both ways, or one-way, protecting only the party doing the disclosing. It is commonly used before sharing financial information, trade secrets, business plans or customer data with a potential partner, investor or employee.

Costs vary with complexity rather than the length of the document. A straightforward one-way NDA using a standard structure costs less than a bespoke mutual agreement covering a complex deal, or one requiring negotiation with the other side’s solicitors. We quote a fixed fee once we understand what the agreement needs to cover and whether it is likely to be negotiated, so you know the cost before instructing us.

Watch for definitions of confidential information that are so broad they cover things you already knew, durations that run indefinitely with no clear end date, and one-sided terms that only protect the other party when the arrangement is genuinely mutual. Also check whether the agreement tries to restrict your normal business activities beyond protecting the specific information being shared, since overly broad restrictions can be difficult to enforce and unnecessarily limiting in practice.

It depends on the terms of the agreement and what loss the breach has caused. Options typically start with a formal letter setting out the breach and requiring it to stop, and can extend to seeking an injunction to prevent further disclosure or a damages claim for losses suffered. Having clear terms on confidentiality, duration and remedies from the outset makes it considerably easier to act quickly if a breach actually happens.

A one-way NDA protects only the party disclosing information, appropriate where only one side is sharing something sensitive, such as a business plan shown to a prospective investor. A mutual NDA protects both parties, used where information flows both ways, for example during merger talks or a joint venture where each side is disclosing to the other. Using the wrong version either leaves you exposed or asks the other party to accept unnecessary restrictions.

Yes, provided it is properly drafted and covers a genuine business interest worth protecting, rather than restricting information that is already public or unreasonably broad in scope. Courts will not enforce a confidentiality obligation that is disproportionate, indefinite with no justification, or so widely drafted that it effectively prevents someone from working elsewhere. A well drafted NDA, tailored to what actually needs protecting, is generally straightforward to enforce if breached.

There is no legal requirement to use one, but the value of an NDA lies entirely in how well it is drafted. A poorly worded agreement can be unenforceable, too narrow to actually protect what matters, or so broad it creates problems of its own. A non disclosure agreement solicitor makes sure the scope, duration and remedies are appropriate to your situation, rather than relying on a generic template that may not hold up if it is ever tested.

MAR Legal provides advisory and documentation support for confidentiality agreements. Where a matter involves reserved legal activities, we work alongside appropriately regulated professionals to make sure your position is fully protected.