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Contract Drafting Ambiguous

Sullivan & Worcester

Interpreting English Law Contracts: avoiding the bear traps

Sullivan & Worcester on

The importance of clear drafting cannot be overstated. Ambiguity of language can lead to disputes, costly litigation and unintended outcomes. The recent Court of Appeal judgment in Cantor Fitzgerald & Co v Yes Bank Ltd [2024]...more

Whitman Legal Solutions, LLC

Why People “May” Incorrectly Use “Shall,” “Must,” and “Will” Even Though They “Should” Know Better

Contracts, real estate leases, and other legal documents also often include provisions that are mandatory (like obligatos) and/or are optional (like ossias). Terms such as "shall," "must," "will," "may," and "should” each...more

Morgan Lewis - Tech & Sourcing

Take Care to Avoid Ambiguity When Using Template Liability Provisions

It is often appealing for businesses that are under pressure to get contracts signed to turn to template documents. While these templates can be very convenient, it is imperative, especially with regard to liability...more

Jones & Keller, P.C.

The Importance of Contract Language

Jones & Keller, P.C. on

Several years ago, unclear, ambiguous, and inconsistent contract language (not to mention some bizarre lawyer shenanigans) cost the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers one-half of the team in divorce proceedings...more

Gray Reed

Texas Supreme Court Deems Continuous Development Clause Ambiguous

Gray Reed on

In Endeavor Energy Resources, L.P. v. Energen Resources Corp. et al. the Supreme Court of Texas construed a continuous development clause in an oil and gas lease covering 11,300 acres in Howard County. After the primary term,...more

Jaburg Wilk

That’s Ambiguous – No It’s Not

Jaburg Wilk on

As hard as real estate agents, title companies, attorneys, and anybody else who drafts contracts, may strive for perfection in their drafting, it is not unusual for the finished product to include a provision that is...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada: Court of Appeal Upholds Dismissed Employee’s Right to Damages for Value of Incentives That Would Have Vested...

Littler on

Whether a wrongfully dismissed employee is entitled to damages as compensation for the value of incentives that would have vested during the reasonable notice period is frequently litigated in Canada....more

Foley Hoag LLP - White Collar Law &...

Challenge to Attorneys' Fees in False Claims Act Cases

Thanks to inexact language in a settlement agreement, a for-profit hospital chain can challenge whistleblowers’ eligibility for attorneys’ fees under the False Claims Act (“FCA”). The single sentence that spawned nearly 5...more

Shutts & Bowen LLP

A Pricey Drafting Error in a Jewelry Store Lease

Shutts & Bowen LLP on

Many of the topics we cover in this space ultimately come down to problems in drafting.  Of course, these drafting issues aren’t apparent when the parties execute the lease, contract, or other document....more

Zelle  LLP

Contra Proferentem Doesn’t Always Mean ‘Against the Insurer’

Zelle LLP on

Despite best efforts, ambiguities are inevitable in contracts. The doctrine of contra proferentem shifts the risk of ambiguity to the party that drafted the contract. The doctrine is frequently applied against insurers where...more

Genova Burns LLC

A Troubling Decision for Employment Arbitration Agreements with Potentially Ambiguous Language and What it Means for Employers...

Genova Burns LLC on

On April 5, 2016, in a rare rebuke of an employment arbitration agreement by a federal court, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (Hon. Madeline Cox Arleo, U.S.D.J.) held that it would not compel...more

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

California Court of Appeal Finds Life Insurance Policy Ambiguous and Rules in Favor of the Insured

Sequeira v. Lincoln Nat’l Life Ins. Co., No. A139639 (Cal. Ct. App. Aug. 31, 2015) - The California Court of Appeal recently reiterated the importance of careful drafting to insurers when it reversed a trial court’s...more

McCarter & English, LLP

Lessons Learned from Litigators: How to Avoid Litigation When Doing a Deal

In this Publication: - 2.1 Introduction 2–1 - 2.2 General Considerations About Contract Drafting 2–2 - § 2.2.1 Does the Contract Reflect a “Meeting of the Minds”? 2–2 - § 2.2.2 The Words of the...more

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