Claude-Skills nda-triage

install
source · Clone the upstream repo
git clone https://github.com/borghei/Claude-Skills
Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/borghei/Claude-Skills "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/legal/nda-triage" ~/.claude/skills/borghei-claude-skills-nda-triage && rm -rf "$T"
manifest: legal/nda-triage/SKILL.md
source content

⚠️ EXPERIMENTAL — This skill is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does NOT constitute legal advice. All responsibility for usage rests with the user. Consult qualified legal professionals before acting on any output.

NDA Triage

Rapid NDA screening tool that classifies incoming NDAs as GREEN (standard approval), YELLOW (counsel review), or RED (significant issues). Uses a 10-point screening checklist to evaluate agreement structure, definitions, obligations, carveouts, and problematic provisions.


Table of Contents


Tools

NDA Screener

Scans NDA text for red flags and outputs GREEN/YELLOW/RED classification with reasoning.

# Screen an NDA file
python scripts/nda_screener.py nda_draft.txt

# JSON output for integration
python scripts/nda_screener.py incoming_nda.md --json

# Save screening results
python scripts/nda_screener.py nda_draft.txt --output screening.json --json

What it detects:

  • Missing standard carveouts (public knowledge, prior possession, independent development, third-party receipt, legal compulsion)
  • Non-solicitation and non-compete clauses
  • Perpetual confidentiality obligations
  • Overbroad definition of confidential information
  • Residuals clauses granting usage rights to ideas/concepts
  • IP assignment or license grants
  • Liquidated damages provisions
  • Unlimited audit rights
  • One-sided obligations

Classification Rules:

LevelCriteriaRouting
GREENAll 5 carveouts present, no problematic provisions, standard structureBusiness approver; no counsel needed
YELLOW1-2 missing carveouts, minor problematic provisions, or non-standard termsLegal counsel review within 48 hours
RED3+ missing carveouts, non-compete/non-solicitation, IP assignment, perpetual term with no exitSenior counsel review; do not sign

NDA Checklist

Generates a compliance checklist for an NDA, checking all 10 screening criteria with pass/fail status.

# Generate checklist for an NDA
python scripts/nda_checklist.py nda_draft.txt

# JSON output
python scripts/nda_checklist.py nda_draft.txt --json

# Save checklist
python scripts/nda_checklist.py nda_draft.txt --output checklist.json --json

10-Point Screening Criteria:

#CriterionWhat It Checks
1Agreement StructureMutual vs. one-way; parties identified; purpose stated
2Definition of Confidential InfoScope, specificity, marking requirements
3ObligationsStandard of care, use restrictions, disclosure limits
4Standard Carveouts5 required: public knowledge, prior possession, independent development, third-party receipt, legal compulsion
5Permitted DisclosuresRepresentatives, advisors, affiliates with need-to-know
6Term & DurationReasonable term, survival period, obligations after expiry
7Return/DestructionObligation to return or destroy upon request/termination
8RemediesInjunctive relief, damages, indemnification scope
9Problematic ProvisionsNon-solicitation, non-compete, exclusivity, residuals, IP assignment, audit rights
10Governing LawJurisdiction, dispute resolution mechanism

Reference Guides

NDA Screening Criteria

references/nda_screening_criteria.md

Complete evaluation reference covering:

  • All 10 screening criteria with detailed sub-items
  • GREEN/YELLOW/RED classification rules with specific examples
  • Common NDA issues with standard positions
  • Redline approaches for common problems

Workflows

Standard NDA Triage

  1. Receive NDA -- Save as
    .txt
    or
    .md
    file
  2. Screen -- Run
    nda_screener.py
    for quick RED/YELLOW/GREEN classification
  3. Checklist -- Run
    nda_checklist.py
    for detailed 10-point evaluation
  4. Route -- Follow routing recommendations based on classification
  5. Track -- Log screening result and routing decision

Bulk NDA Processing

# Screen multiple NDAs
for nda in ndas/*.txt; do
  echo "=== $nda ==="
  python scripts/nda_screener.py "$nda"
  echo ""
done

# Generate JSON report for all NDAs
for nda in ndas/*.txt; do
  python scripts/nda_screener.py "$nda" --json --output "results/$(basename $nda .txt).json"
done

Routing Recommendations

ClassificationApproverTimelineEscalation
GREENBusiness owner or designated approverSame day; sign within 24 hoursNone required
YELLOWLegal counsel review48-hour turnaroundEscalate to senior counsel if no response in 72 hours
REDSenior legal counsel5 business day turnaroundEscalate to General Counsel if deal-critical

GREEN Fast-Track Conditions

All of the following must be true for GREEN classification:

  • Mutual NDA (both parties bound)
  • All 5 standard carveouts present
  • No non-solicitation, non-compete, or exclusivity clauses
  • No IP assignment or license grants
  • No residuals clause
  • Term is 2-5 years (not perpetual)
  • Return/destruction obligation present
  • Standard remedies (injunctive relief, no liquidated damages)

RED Escalation Triggers

Any one of the following triggers RED classification:

  • Non-compete clause of any scope
  • Non-solicitation clause covering employees or customers
  • IP assignment or broad license grant
  • Missing 3 or more standard carveouts
  • Perpetual obligations with no termination right
  • Liquidated damages for breach
  • Exclusivity provision

Troubleshooting

ProblemCauseSolution
Screener classifies everything as YELLOWNDA uses non-standard formatting that breaks pattern matchingEnsure NDA is clean plain text; remove PDF artifacts and headers/footers
Missing carveouts false positiveCarveouts are present but use unusual languageReview the full "Exceptions" or "Exclusions" section manually; the screener checks common phrasings
Non-compete not detectedNon-compete is embedded in definitions or obligations section rather than standaloneSearch the full document for "compete", "competitive", "restrict" manually
Checklist shows PASS but screener shows REDChecklist evaluates presence; screener evaluates content qualityUse both tools together; the screener's RED overrides checklist PASS
Script errors on large filesNDA text exceeds expected size (>100KB)Ensure the file contains only the NDA text, not appendices or exhibits

Success Criteria

  • NDA triage under 5 minutes: Automated screening replaces 30-minute manual review.
  • Zero missed RED-severity issues: Every non-compete, IP assignment, and missing carveout is flagged.
  • GREEN NDAs signed within 24 hours: Fast-track routing eliminates bottleneck for standard agreements.
  • YELLOW NDAs resolved within 48 hours: Counsel review turnaround meets SLA.
  • Consistent classification across reviewers: 10-point checklist eliminates subjective "looks fine" approvals.
  • 100% of NDAs screened before routing: No NDA reaches an approver without automated triage.

Scope & Limitations

Covers:

  • Pattern-based screening of NDA text for structural issues and problematic provisions
  • 10-point compliance checklist against standard NDA requirements
  • GREEN/YELLOW/RED classification with routing recommendations
  • Detection of non-solicitation, non-compete, IP assignment, residuals, and other problematic clauses
  • Missing carveout identification

Does NOT cover:

  • Legal advice -- classification is a screening aid, not a legal opinion
  • Negotiation or redlining -- use
    nda-review
    for deep clause analysis and redline generation
  • Multi-party NDAs -- optimized for bilateral (two-party) agreements
  • Industry-specific NDA requirements (healthcare, defense, government) -- patterns target commercial NDAs
  • Non-English NDAs -- pattern matching is English-language only

Anti-Patterns

Anti-PatternWhy It FailsBetter Approach
Signing GREEN-classified NDAs without any human reviewAutomated screening cannot catch business-context risks (e.g., NDA with a direct competitor)GREEN classification means low legal risk, not zero risk; business approver must still review
Using triage as a substitute for deep NDA review on complex dealsTriage checks structure and red flags, not clause quality or negotiation positionRun
nda-review
skill for M&A, joint venture, or high-value partnership NDAs
Ignoring YELLOW classifications because "it's just an NDA"YELLOW items like missing carveouts or residuals clauses create real legal exposureRoute all YELLOW NDAs to counsel; missing independent development carveout alone can cost millions
Treating all NDAs as equal regardless of counterparty relationshipNDA with a startup partner requires different scrutiny than NDA with a Fortune 500 vendorAdjust review depth based on counterparty, deal value, and information sensitivity

Tool Reference

nda_screener.py

Purpose: Scans NDA text for red flags and problematic provisions. Outputs GREEN/YELLOW/RED classification with detailed reasoning.

Usage:

python scripts/nda_screener.py <nda_file> [--json] [--output FILE]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
nda_file
(positional)Path to NDA text file (.txt or .md)
--json
offOutput in JSON format
--output
-o
(stdout)Write output to file

Example Output (JSON):

{
  "file": "vendor_nda.txt",
  "classification": "YELLOW",
  "red_flags": [
    {
      "id": "missing_carveout_independent_development",
      "severity": "YELLOW",
      "description": "Missing independent development carveout",
      "recommendation": "Add standard independent development exception"
    }
  ],
  "carveouts": {
    "public_knowledge": true,
    "prior_possession": true,
    "independent_development": false,
    "third_party_receipt": true,
    "legal_compulsion": true
  },
  "summary": "1 missing carveout; no critical issues. Route to counsel for review."
}

nda_checklist.py

Purpose: Generates a 10-point compliance checklist for an NDA, evaluating each screening criterion as PASS/FAIL with notes.

Usage:

python scripts/nda_checklist.py <nda_file> [--json] [--output FILE]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
nda_file
(positional)Path to NDA text file (.txt or .md)
--json
offOutput in JSON format
--output
-o
(stdout)Write output to file

Example Output:

NDA COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST
========================
File: vendor_nda.txt
Overall: YELLOW (8/10 PASS)

 #  Criterion                    Status  Notes
 1  Agreement Structure          PASS    Mutual NDA; both parties identified
 2  Definition of Confidential   PASS    Reasonably scoped with marking requirement
 3  Obligations                  PASS    Standard of care; use restrictions present
 4  Standard Carveouts           FAIL    Missing: independent development
 5  Permitted Disclosures        PASS    Representatives and advisors covered
 6  Term & Duration              PASS    3-year term with 2-year survival
 7  Return/Destruction           PASS    Return or destroy within 30 days
 8  Remedies                     PASS    Injunctive relief; no liquidated damages
 9  Problematic Provisions       FAIL    Residuals clause detected
10  Governing Law                PASS    Delaware law; state courts