OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL MEMORANDUM CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS: PITFALLS TO CONSIDERConfidentiality Agreement • February 24th, 2012
Contract Type FiledFebruary 24th, 2012It is not unusual that prior to a meeting to discuss a potential transaction, a visiting company, such as a commercial vendor or potential research sponsor, will provide NYU with the company’s standard confidentiality agreement to protect the confidentiality of potential disclosures made during the meeting. Although these confidentiality agreements (sometimes called confidential disclosure agreements or “CDAs”) often appear innocuous or "boilerplate," their provisions can have serious consequences to the University, and may impact the ability of the University and its faculty, researchers and other personnel to engage in programs or activities related to matters that are discussed. These agreements should be reviewed by the Office of Sponsored Programs or the Office of Industrial Liaison in the case of research agreements, or by the Office of General Counsel in other cases. Generally, CDA's must be signed by a person authorized to sign on behalf of NYU. Here are some of the important c