the genesis of the word “consultant” is derived from the latin consultare, which translates “to consider carefully, to consult.” a consultant can refer to either a company that provides consulting services or to an individual. a standard consulting agreement is the most common (and often most important) type of consultant agreement. it is a basic contract that outlines the number of hours and the rate of pay, the scope of the work to be performed and deliverables. in short, it stipulates that any information that the consultant encounters in the course of business is not be disclosed to anybody else. in the case of consultants, an nda tends to be a “one-way agreement,” meaning that only the consultant is required to sign one.