Selected Usages

“Closing” and “The Closing”

[Updated September 26, 2013] Last week was a quiet one, at least in terms of my online activities, as I spent most of it in Florida, where I gave two “Drafting Clearer Contracts” seminars for a company. There was a give-and-take during the seminars. I particularly like it when someone at a seminar spots a nuance that I’ve had at … Read More

Use of the Words “Husband,” “Wife,” and “Spouse” in Contracts

With the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent holding on the Defense of Marriage Act, my thoughts turned to use in contracts of the words husband, wife, and spouse. But I wasn’t about to tackle that on my lonesome, no siree. Instead, I asked Dan Schwatz—he of the Connecticut Employment Law Blog—for his thoughts. My opening question for Dan was whether use … Read More

German Speakers and Use of “Guarantee” in Contracts

Given my recent post on German speakers and will (here), I was intrigued to have a participant at yesterday’s “Drafting Clearer Contracts” seminar in Boston ask me why Germans are so eager to use the verb guarantee in contracts. I’m not sure what use of guarantee that participant was referring to. Guarantees plus noun or guarantees that plus verb? (For … Read More

More “Efforts” Analysis That I Disagree With

As you’ll note from my recent blog posts, I’ve been having a busy time in the marketplace of ideas. Here’s another installment, prompted by a reader inquiry: Had I seen this article in Canadian M&A Perspectives? And what did I think of it? Corporate Counsel Article Well, let’s start by looking at this article in Corporate Counsel, which the Canadian … Read More

“Related To, But Not Limited To”

In this comment, reader MLB asks, “What’s your thought on the following phrase: ‘related to, but not limited to’ in a contract?” My response: WTF? A search on EDGAR found only 49 contracts that use the phrase, and perhaps half of them represent multiple instances of contracts based on the same template. So it’s a rarity—thankfully so, as I don’t … Read More

Can We Get Rid of the Term of Art “Force Majeure”?

In this post you can see the most recent version of my force majeure language. (Excuse the blood, sweat, and tears!) But one change the current version doesn’t reflect is something that Chris Lemens and A. Wright Burke both requested—that I get rid of the phrase force majeure. Here’s what Chris said in this comment: I’m highly prejudiced against law-French, … Read More

Dubious Contract Word of the Day: Cognizant

Recently I encountered cognizant in a contract. It’s a foppish word meaning “knowledgeable of something, especially through personal experience.” It’s not that common in contracts, but it’s not an utter rarity either—it’s in a few dozen contracts filed on EDGAR in the past year. Below is an example of cognizant used in a contract to convey the established meaning; I’d use … Read More

I Wade In Again on “Represents and Warrants”

I’ve decided that use of represents and warrants is the litmus test in the battle for clear contract language. That’s why I’m always game to chime in on the subject. I had an opportunity to do so today, by posting this comment to an article by Drew Hasselback on the website of the Financial Post, a section of the Canadian publication … Read More

“Without Prejudice”

You remember my post asking for readers to suggest terms of art that can’t be replaced with something clearer (here)? I offer with prejudice. Here’s how Black’s Law Dictionary defines the phrase: with prejudice, adv. With loss of all rights; in a way that finally disposes of a party’s claim and bars any future action on that claim <dismissed with prejudice>. See dismissal with prejudice under DISMISSAL (1). It’s routine … Read More

“This Agreement Contemplates”

I sometimes get from unexpected quarters ideas for new bits of contract language for to me ponder. Last week, my web designer, the inestimable Selene Bowlby of iDesign Studios, asked me about the phrase “this agreement contemplates,” which she had seen in a contract for web-design services. An astronomer contemplates the universe. An existentialist contemplates being and nothingness. I contemplate … Read More