This CLE webinar will help business counsel identify and fix potentially costly issues in contracts. The presenter will focus on problems that often arise due to how concepts are conveyed in contract provisions and offer best practices for drafting, analyzing and interpreting contracts.

Description

The manner in which key concepts are expressed in contracts is often as important as the concepts themselves. Solid contract-drafting skills are essential tools for any practitioner who deals with transactions or business relationships.

Many contracts—even those developed by experienced counsel and relating to prominent transactions—are typically plagued with ambiguities, inconsistencies, unintended imprecision and “bloat” from unnecessary legalese. Such mistakes can render contracts confusing, risky and potentially very costly.

Listen as attorney Vincent R. Martorana, an experienced practitioner and presenter on contract drafting, analysis and interpretation, reviews fundamental, but often unconsidered, skills that are essential to drafting contracts. He will explain how to draft contract provisions to reduce cost and risk for businesses.

Outline

• Summary of categories of contract-drafting language
• More advanced concepts
  • Active voice vs. passive voice
  • Conditional language
  • Language of exception and subordination
  • The concept of "Deemed"
  • References to time
  • Ambiguities relating to "and" and "or"

Benefits

The panel will review these and other key questions:

• What are the fundamental components of contracts generally, including "boilerplate" contracts that companies use?
• What are some common, and potentially costly, drafting errors that attorneys make when drafting contracts?
• What are the best practices for drafting, analyzing and interpreting contracts?

For more information, visit straffordpub.com.