All businesses develop and use confidential information and trade secrets to run their operations and to further their business goals. Confidential information includes marketing plans, pricing data, forecasts, customer lists and other like documents. A company’s competitive advantage could be seriously harmed if its confidential information leaked outside the company, so most employers take steps to protect this information. For example, employers may forbid employees from downloading confidential information and may control which employees have access to certain information.
Dallas labor and employment law attorney Keith Clouse notes that employers may also protect confidential information by entering into non-disclosure agreements with employees. By signing a non-disclosure agreement, an employee typically agrees not to use or disclose a company’s trade secrets and confidential information. A non-disclosure agreement can be a short, simple document that identifies the company’s confidential information, recites that the company is giving access to its confidential information to the employee and binds the employee not to use or disclose the information. When the employee leaves the company, the company can remind the employee of his continuing obligation under the non-disclosure agreement to protect the company’s confidential information.
To speak to Mr. Clouse about drafting a non-disclosure agreement or about another employment and labor law matter, contact the labor and employment law firm of Clouse Dunn Khoshbin LLP at [email protected].
