In Commercial Transactions, Which Side Gets to Draft?

While lurking at the Business Integrity booth at the ACC annual meeting, I’ve had a chance to discuss with many people their company’s contract-drafting requirements. Some of those I’ve spoken with have been in the procurement department; others have been in sales. I haven’t spotted any particular pattern.

That raised in my mind the question of who gets to draft the contract in any given commercial transaction, the seller or the buyer. I invite your suggestions as to what factors come into play.

About the author

Ken Adams is the leading authority on how to say clearly whatever you want to say in a contract. He’s author of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, and he offers online and in-person training around the world. He’s also head of Adams Contracts, a division of LegalSifter that is developing highly customizable contract templates.