NDAs are the most casually signed legal documents. They show up before job interviews, partnership discussions, and investor meetings. Most people sign without reading because "it's just an NDA." But a badly written NDA can prevent you from working in your industry or discussing your own experience.
Plain English summary
Full document condensed into simple language
Risk flags with severity
High, medium, low — with recommendations
Obligations extracted
Financial, performance, reporting, restrictions
Key dates & deadlines
Renewals, notice periods, milestones
Legal glossary
Terms defined in your document's context
Who this is for
Whether you're reviewing your first contract or your hundredth, LegalSimpler gives you the clarity to negotiate from a position of knowledge.
Risks we catch
The definition covers nearly everything you learn during the relationship — including general industry knowledge you could have picked up anywhere.
No expiration date means you're bound to secrecy indefinitely. A reasonable NDA is 2-5 years, not forever.
Restrictions on where you can work or who you can work with, disguised within confidentiality language that looks harmless.
Only your information-sharing is restricted. Their information is protected, but when you share yours, they have no obligations.
You can't hire, recruit, or even have casual conversations with anyone you meet through the business relationship — for years.
Disproportionate damages for minor or accidental disclosure — sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single slip.
What people miss
These are the things we see most often — and the ones that cost people the most.
Companies sometimes ask candidates to sign NDAs before interviews. Most are reasonable, but some contain non-compete clauses that restrict you even if you don't get the job. You have leverage before they invest time in you — read it first.
If both parties are sharing information (in a partnership discussion or investor meeting), a one-way NDA only protects them. Always insist on mutual protection when information flows both ways.
A 2-year NDA with specific exclusions for publicly available information is vastly different from a perpetual NDA with a broad definition. The title is the same; the consequences are not.
Works with
FAQ
It's common, especially in tech. Most are reasonable, but check for hidden non-compete clauses and make sure the confidentiality definition is bounded. Our analysis will flag any unusual restrictions.
A mutual NDA protects both parties' information equally. A one-way NDA only protects one side. If both parties are sharing information, you should insist on mutual.
Not directly — that's what non-compete clauses do. But some NDAs include non-compete language within confidentiality sections. Our analysis specifically flags this.
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