At Arm's Length
Black's Law Dictionary · Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910
Black's Law Dictionary
Beyond the reach of personal influence or control. Parties are said to deni "at arm's length" when each stands upon the strict letter of his rights, and conducts the business in a formal maimer, without trusting to the other's fairness or integrity, and without being subject to the other's control or overmastering influence.