Comments on: “Basis” (Including “Timely”)

By: what is the adverb of 'timely' - UsingEnglish.com ESL Forum

what is the adverb of 'timely' - UsingEnglish.com ESL Forum — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 05:54:53 +0000

[...] In Legal English "timely" works as an adverb, but it sounds rather odd. According to this author, as an adverb "timely" is more concise and so better than the phrases that are currently [...]

By: Ken Adams

Ken Adams — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:48:14 +0000

Nigel: I’d actually say “Acme may enter into a transaction with an Affiliate only if that transaction (1) is at arm’s length and (2) has been approved by a majority of Acme’s disinterested directors.”

Of course, all this has nothing to do with basis. But heck, it’s not a crime to go off on a tangent.

Ken

By: Nigel Madeley

Nigel Madeley — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:42:24 +0000

Agreed; so:

“Acme may enter into transactions with Affiliates only if they are (i) at arm’s-length and (ii) approved by a majority of the Company’s disinterested directors.”

By: Ken Adams

Ken Adams — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:29:12 +0000

Nigel: Good point, but you might want to check out this post regarding use of only. Ken

By: Nigel Madeley

Nigel Madeley — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:22:39 +0000

I try to avoid “not … unless” and be more positive. I’d say:

“Acme may only enter into transactions with Affiliates that are (i) at arm’s-length and (ii) approved by a majority of the Company’s disinterested directors.”

By: Christopher Dee

Christopher Dee — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:54:46 +0000

South African lawyers, I discovered, use the word “timeously” to mean “on a timely basis,” or “timely” [adv.]. To my ear that’s appalling, but I saw it used there between lawyers at very high levels of the profession.
Being a New Yorker I’m sure that some things I said sounded just as strange to them.