MSCD

With My Stuff, You’re OK Making a Leap of Faith

Learning involves relying on others. It’s not remotely feasible for everyone to, uh, do all their own research. Instead, you have to rely on others who really have done research and written it up in a way that makes it accessible. But who do you rely on? The overwhelming majority of commentary out there isn’t reliable, or it’s lightweight. For … Read More

Pelopidas, LLC v. Keller: An Opinion Showing How Courts and Litigators Might Use “A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting”

Yesterday I learned of an opinion—hot off the presses—of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, Division One, by Judge Kelly C. Broniec. The case is Pelopidas, LLC v. Keller, No. ED 109395, 2021 WL 3501988 (Mo. Ct. App. 10 Aug. 2021) (PDF here). This opinion concerns Keller’s appeal of a lower court decision interpreting the following sentence from a … Read More

Rely on MSCD, Tune Out the Cacophony

Today I was tagged in the following tweet: Think the objection is primarily an aesthetic one. Can't resist tagging @AdamsDrafting in on this. — Levins Solicitors (@LevinsLaw) July 23, 2021 I’m always happy to join in a discussion when someone asks my opinion. (Hi, @LevinsLaw!) But I was reminded how online, everything old—whether it’s and/or, or for the avoidance of … Read More

“A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting” Mentioned in a Job Posting

Yesterday Andrew Kinsey tagged me in this tweet: Just saw a job posting with these requirements. @AdamsDrafting has influence, I see. pic.twitter.com/RAeEBfvuyf — Andrew Kinsey (@KinseyAndrew) July 6, 2021 As I reported in this 2017 post, a reader told me how they had said in a job interview that they were a big fan of A Manual of Style for … Read More

“Team Adams” and Hiring Informed Consumers of Contract Language

On Wednesday I was pleased to receive an email from Lissa Morris. She participated in a series of Drafting Clearer Contracts: Masterclass, and Wednesday saw the last of the eight weekly one-hour sessions in her series. Her email is below—you’ll see why I found it a tonic. In it, Lissa refers to “Team Adams.” I propose that it’s her way … Read More

A Humdinger of an Opinion from the Delaware Chancery Court: AB Stable VIII LLC v. MAPS Hotels and Resorts One LLC

If you’re weary of the shitshow, I suggest you check out the work of an exemplary public servant—the Delaware Chancery Court opinion by Vice Chancellor Laster in AB Stable VIII LLC v. MAPS Hotels and Resorts One LLC (here), issued on 30 November 2020. It’s another epic Laster opinion, weighing in at 242 pages. The dispute involves the proposed purchase of … Read More

40% Off MSCD on 30 November 2020!

Now hear this! If you buy A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting from the American Bar Association’s web store (here) on “Cyber Monday” (30 November 2020) and use the discount code CYBER2020, you’ll get 40% off and free ground shipping. That, my friends, is a bargain. Why would you want to buy the book? Well, the Law Society Gazette … Read More

Fix this Glitch on Page 52 of MSCD Fourth Edition

Today we salute Meade Ali. Meade is a longtime reader, but he also happens to be a participant in one of the current series of Drafting Clearer Contracts: Masterclass. It was in that capacity that he laid it on me: in chapter 3, in table 1, on page 52, example [1-2b] is marked with two Xs but it should in … Read More

Why I’m an Absolutist in My Pursuit of Clearer Contracts

These days I live something of an incrementalist life. For example, in an overnight switch I now pour oat milk, instead of cow’s milk, on my industrial quantities of granola, but I don’t expect to give up cheese anytime soon. And in an attempt stop using so many paper towels and so much plastic wrap, I currently use sponge cloths … Read More