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LPC: PRIVATE ACQUISITIONS SGS 1 CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

PRIVATE ACQUISITIONS:
INTRODUCTION TO AUCTION SALES

LEGAL PRACTICE COURSE

DRAFT CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT /


NON - DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

Please note that this precedent is based on a standard precedent which has
been adapted for the Legal Practice Course. It therefore does not have any
practical use as a precedent and students wishing to find a complete version
are directed to the standard texts of precedents in the Library.

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LPC: PRIVATE ACQUISITIONS SGS 1 CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

[ON THE LETTERHEAD OF THE SELLER]

[NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE RECIPIENT]

[Date]

STRICTLY PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL

Dear Sirs

Proposed acquisition of Eurolearn Limited

You [insert name of Bidder] (‘the Bidder’) have expressed an interest in the possible
acquisition of Eurolearn Limited. In consideration of us making Confidential
Information available to you, you hereby agree to the following:

1. INTERPRETATION

1.1 In this agreement:


Confidential Information: all information (however recorded or preserved)
that is disclosed or made available (in any form or by any method) by the
Seller (or any of its Representatives) to the Bidder (or any of its
Representatives) [whether before or after the date of this agreement,] in
connection with the Proposed Transaction, including but not limited to:
(a) the fact that discussions or negotiations are taking place concerning
the Proposed Transaction and the content and status of such
discussions or negotiations;
(b) the existence of this agreement and its terms;
(c) all confidential or proprietary information relating to the business or
affairs, financial or trading position, assets, intellectual property
rights, customers, clients, suppliers, employees, plans, operations,
processes, products, intentions or market opportunities of the
Company [or any member of its Group];
(d) the know-how, designs, trade secrets, technical information or
software of the Company [or any member of its Group]; and
(e) any other information that is identified as being of a confidential or
proprietary nature.
References to Confidential Information shall include any Copies.
Company: Eurolearn Limited, incorporated and registered in England and
Wales with company number 1202304 whose registered office is at Eurolearn
House, Hatfield Industrial Estate, Hampshire PO15 1PA.

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LPC: PRIVATE ACQUISITIONS SGS 1 CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

Copies: copies or reproductions of Confidential Information in any form or


medium including any document, electronic file, note, extract, analysis, study,
plan, compilation or any other way of representing or recording and recalling
information which contains, reflects or is derived or generated from,
Confidential Information (or any part of it).
Group: in relation to a company, that company, any subsidiary or any holding
company from time to time of that company, and any subsidiary from time to
time of a holding company of that company. Each company in a Group is a
member of the Group.
Permitted Purpose: considering, evaluating, negotiating or advancing the
Proposed Transaction.
Permitted Recipient: each and any of the following persons:
(a) those of the Bidder's Representatives that need to know [or require
access to] the Confidential Information for the Permitted Purpose, or
to provide advice in connection with the Proposed Transaction;
(b) any person whom the Seller agrees in writing may receive
Confidential Information.
Proposed Transaction: the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of
the Company by the Bidder.
Representatives: in relation to a company, the employees, officers,
representatives and advisers of that company or any member of its Group.
Seller: LTC (Holdings) Limited, incorporated and registered in England and
Wales with company number 3607121 whose registered office is at 5 th Floor,
Oxford House, 14-18 Great Mills Street, London EC1V 7PE.

1.2 References to clauses are to the clauses of this agreement.

1.3 A person includes a natural person, corporate or unincorporated body


(whether or not having separate legal personality) and that person's
successors and permitted assigns.

1.4 This agreement shall be binding on, and enure to the benefit of, the parties to
this agreement and their respective successors and permitted assigns, and
references to any party shall include that party's successors and permitted
assigns.

1.5 A reference to writing or written includes fax but not email [(unless otherwise
expressly provided in this agreement)].

1.6 Any words following the terms including, include, in particular, for
example or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall

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LPC: PRIVATE ACQUISITIONS SGS 1 CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

not limit the sense of the words, description, definition, phrase or term
preceding those terms.

1.7 Any obligation on a party not to do something includes an obligation not to


allow that thing to be done.

2. CONFIDENTIALITY UNDERTAKINGS

2.1 The Bidder undertakes to the Seller that it shall [(and shall procure that each
member of its Group shall)]:
(a) keep the Confidential Information secret and confidential and shall
take [all necessary] steps to preserve its confidentiality;
(b) not disclose or make available any Confidential Information to any
person, except as permitted by this agreement; and
(c) not use or exploit the Confidential Information in any way, except for
the Permitted Purpose.

2.2 The Bidder shall only make such Copies as are strictly necessary for the
Permitted Purpose and shall:
(a) clearly mark all Copies as confidential;
(b) ensure that all Copies can be separately identified from its own
information; and
(c) ensure that all Copies within its control are protected against theft or
unauthorised access.

2.3 At the written request of the Seller, the Bidder shall promptly:
(a) destroy or return to the Seller all documents and materials
containing, reflecting, incorporating, or based on any Confidential
Information;
(b) erase all Confidential Information from its computer and
communications systems and devices used by it [(or any members of
its Group)], including such systems and data storage services
provided by third parties (to the extent technically and legally
practicable); and
(c) certify in writing to the Seller that it has complied with its obligations
under this clause [ ]

[provided that the Bidder may retain documents and materials containing,
reflecting, incorporating or based on the Confidential Information to the extent
required by law or any governmental or regulatory authority of competent

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LPC: PRIVATE ACQUISITIONS SGS 1 CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

jurisdiction. The provisions of this agreement shall continue to apply to any


such documents and materials retained by the Bidder].

2.4 The undertakings and obligations in this agreement do not apply to any
Confidential Information:
(a) that is, or becomes, generally available to the public other than as a
direct or indirect result of the information being disclosed in breach of
this agreement;
(b) if the Bidder can prove that the relevant Confidential Information:
(i) was available to the Bidder on a non-confidential basis before
it was disclosed by the Seller or its Representatives; or
(ii) was, is or has become available to the Bidder on a non-
confidential basis from a person who, to the Bidder's
knowledge, was not bound by a confidentiality agreement
with the Seller [(or any other member of its Group)] or
otherwise prohibited from disclosing the information to the
Bidder;
(c) where the Seller agrees in writing that such information is not
Confidential Information, or that it may be disclosed [(subject to any
limitations or other terms specified by the Seller regarding the
method or recipient or such disclosure)].

3. PERMITTED AND FORCED DISCLOSURE

3.1 The Bidder may disclose Confidential Information to a Permitted Recipient,


provided that it:
(a) informs the Permitted Recipient of the confidential nature of the
Confidential Information before it is disclosed; and
(b) procures that the Permitted Recipient shall, in relation to any
Confidential Information disclosed to it, comply with this agreement
as if it were the Bidder [and, if the Seller so requests, procures that
the Permitted Recipient enters into a confidentiality agreement with
the Seller on terms equivalent to those contained in this agreement].

3.2 The Bidder may disclose Confidential Information to the extent it is required to
be disclosed by law, or by any regulatory or governmental authority of
competent jurisdiction (including any listing authority or stock exchange on
which the Bidder's shares [or those of any member of its Group] are listed or
traded), or by a court of competent jurisdiction provided that, to the extent it is
legally permitted to do so, the Bidder gives the Seller as much notice of such
disclosure as possible [, and takes into account the reasonable requests of
the Seller in relation to the content of the disclosure].

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LPC: PRIVATE ACQUISITIONS SGS 1 CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

4. DURATION

4.1 If the Proposed Transaction is completed with the Bidder, this agreement
shall terminate upon completion of the Proposed Transaction.

4.2 In any other circumstances, this agreement shall continue in full force and
effect for a period of [NUMBER] years from the date of this agreement. The
Bidder's obligations under this agreement shall not be affected by any
termination of the negotiations or discussions between the parties in relation
to the Proposed Transaction.

4.3 Termination of this agreement shall be not affect any accrued rights or
remedies to which a party is entitled.

5. THIRD PARTY RIGHTS

5.1 Except as provided in clause 5.2, a person who is not a party to this
agreement shall not have any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third
Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of this agreement.

5.2 The obligations and undertakings of the Bidder in this agreement are intended
to benefit the Company [and future buyers of the entire issued share capital of
the Company] and shall be enforceable by [it OR each of them] to the fullest
extent permitted by law as if [it OR they] were the Seller and a party to this
agreement.

5.3 The rights of the parties to terminate, rescind or agree any variation, waiver or
settlement under this agreement are not subject to the consent of any other
person.

6. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

6.1 This agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it
or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or
claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of
England and Wales.

6.2 Each party irrevocably agrees that the courts of England and Wales shall
have [exclusive OR non-exclusive] jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim
arising out of or in connection with this agreement or its subject matter or
formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims).

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LPC: PRIVATE ACQUISITIONS SGS 1 CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

Please acknowledge your entry into this agreement by signing, dating and returning
the enclosed copy of this agreement to us.

Yours faithfully

………………………………………
Director
for and on behalf of LTC
(HOLDINGS) PLC

Agreed and accepted by

……………………………………….
Director
for and on behalf of [NAME OF Date…………………..
BIDDER]

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