Confidentiality Agreements & Enforcing Restrictive Covenants
Specialist employment law solicitors in London and the South East – advising employers on how to protect their business from key staff departures.
Senior departures shouldn’t put your business at risk.
When a director leaves, the fallout can extend far beyond the boardroom – affecting clients, staff, strategy and commercial value. Without the right legal protections in place, your business could face disruption, reputational damage and financial loss.
Key risks include:
- Client loss – Where departing directors or senior staff attempt to take clients with them.
- Confidentiality breaches – Where sensitive business information is disclosed, misused or retained.
- Team disruption – If other employees are persuaded to leave or influenced by internal unrest.
- Competitive threat – When individuals join or set up a competing business using insider knowledge.
- Reputational damage – Especially where exits are high-profile, contested or mishandled.
- Legal exposure – From unenforceable restrictions, missed notice periods or flawed contractual terms.
At Thomas Mansfield, our employment lawyers help organisations avoid these outcomes. We put in place strategic legal safeguards – confidentiality agreements and restrictive covenants – that protect your business before, during and after employment ends. These aren’t just legal clauses. They’re essential tools for business continuity, risk management and long-term resilience.
What is a confidentiality agreement?
A confidentiality agreement prevents employees from disclosing or misusing sensitive business information. These obligations apply during employment and remain in force after it ends. They’re particularly important for senior staff, client-facing and sales roles, technical employees – and for consultants, contractors and third parties who may access your confidential data as part of their engagement.
Key areas of protection include:
- Commercial strategy and pricing models.
- Client and supplier data.
- Financial performance and forecasts.
- Intellectual property, designs and product development.
- Operational insights and internal processes.
We help employers draft clear, tailored confidentiality provisions for all relevant working relationships and act swiftly in the event of a breach – minimising risk and preserving your commercial advantage.
What are restrictive covenants?
Restrictive covenants are post-termination restrictions. They limit what a former employee can do after they leave, helping you retain key clients, protect your workforce and avoid unfair competition. You might need a restrictive covenant if a senior hire is leaving to join a competitor, a team is planning a coordinated move or you simply want clarity and protection built into your contracts.
Call our employment law team on 020 4579 5997 or
Meet our employment law partners
Restrictive covenants – protecting your business after an employee leaves.
Restrictive covenants act as commercial safeguards during times of change. When a valued employee resigns or a senior executive moves on, having post-termination restrictions in place gives you breathing room – and legal strength – if they pose a risk to your business.
We regularly advise on:
- Non-compete clauses – preventing former employees from joining or setting up with a competitor.
- Non-solicitation clauses – stopping them from approaching your clients or customers.
- Non-dealing clauses – preventing them from doing business with your clients, even if approached.
- Non-poaching clauses – stopping ex-employees from recruiting your people.
- Team move provisions – addressing the risk of group departures.
- Garden leave clauses – allowing you to keep employees out of the market during their notice period.
Our employment law solicitors ensure these clauses are not just drafted well – but enforceable, proportionate and tailored to your industry and operational needs. As experienced employment lawyers, we also provide strategic insight on how to implement these protections across your organisation.
Enforcing restrictive covenants – clear, commercial and decisive
Enforcing restrictive covenants is about more than legal action. It’s about protecting your business from unfair competition, reputational damage and financial loss. When breaches happen, we act quickly and decisively to preserve your position, maintain client confidence and minimise disruption.
We help employers by:
- Securing urgent High Court injunctions to stop unlawful activity.
- Sending cease-and-desist letters and negotiating undertakings.
- Managing disputes with sensitivity to your internal and external reputation.
- Pursuing court proceedings where needed to enforce terms and recover loss.
Our focus is always on delivering practical, cost-effective outcomes. We don’t just take legal action – we help you resolve issues and restore stability.
Are your business interests protected when directors or employees move on?
Why employers choose Thomas Mansfield
- Employment law specialists – Confidentiality and post-termination restrictions are core to our practice. We help employers design, draft and enforce protections that withstand legal challenge.
- Recognised and accredited – Ranked in The Legal 500, Lexcel accredited and members of the Employment Lawyers Association.
- Strategic and commercial – We focus on protecting your business value – from client relationships and intellectual property, to team stability and reputation.
- Trusted by employers – Our clients range from regulated professional services firms to growing businesses and international organisations.
- Accessible and responsive – With offices across London and the South East, and remote support available, we’re easy to reach when issues arise.
- Practical enforcement – Where restrictions are breached, we act quickly to protect your position, including pre-action correspondence and urgent injunctions.
We make it easier to safeguard your business
We take a proactive, business-focused approach to confidentiality agreements and restrictive covenants – ensuring your protections are robust, enforceable and aligned to your commercial needs.
- Contact us – We start with a no-obligation call to understand your business model, workforce structure and risk exposure.
- Receive tailored advice – You’ll get a practical, strategic action plan – whether you’re reviewing contracts or responding to a breach.
- Protect what matters – From ongoing compliance to urgent enforcement, we provide the legal support to keep your business secure.
Speak to our solicitors today about protecting your clients, intellectual property and teams with enforceable legal safeguards.
Call our employment law team on 020 4579 5997 or
Contact us
Contacting the right person couldn’t be easier. Use our form or call us to speak to an experienced employment solicitor in confidence.
Please note we do not offer legal aid or no win no fee agreements.