Contracts & Agreements

Practical drafting, review, and negotiation to help your business understand obligations, allocate risk, and document workable terms.

The Foundation of Business

Every business relationship runs on contracts.

Contracts define relationships with customers, vendors, partners, and employees. They allocate risk, set expectations, and describe steps the parties can take if performance does not go as planned. Careful review helps a business understand its commitments before signing.

Too many businesses sign contracts without truly understanding what they're agreeing to. They use outdated templates, accept the other side's terms without review, or draft agreements that don't actually protect what matters. When problems arise, they discover their contracts don't help.

Whether drafting from scratch or reviewing what you received, the focus is practical: identify priorities, explain tradeoffs, and negotiate terms that fit the relationship and your business goals.

Why Good Contracts Matter

Clarify Expectations

Clear scope, payment, timing, and decision terms can reduce uncertainty and give both parties a shared operating reference.

Allocate Risk

Every contract allocates risk between parties. Your lawyer identifies material allocations and helps you decide what to accept or negotiate.

Protect Your Business

Liability limits, indemnification provisions, and insurance requirements can allocate material business risks, subject to applicable law and negotiation.

Plan for Nonperformance

Notice, cure, termination, and remedy provisions can establish a practical process if performance does not match the agreement.

Support Growth

Well-considered contracts can support growth by making responsibilities, approvals, and commercial assumptions easier to evaluate.

Professional Relationships

Clear expectations can help both parties focus on performance and address questions through an agreed process.

Services

Complete contract support for your business.

From drafting new agreements to reviewing proposed terms, lawyers help identify material risks, explain options, and negotiate terms that fit your business.

Contract Drafting

Custom termsIndustry-specificRisk allocationClear language

Custom contracts tailored to your business, your industry, and your specific transaction. Lawyers draft practical agreements that state responsibilities, assumptions, and negotiated risk allocation.

Contract Review & Markup

Risk identificationMarkup & redlinesPlain-English explanationNegotiation guidance

Before you sign someone else's contract, have your lawyer review it. Your lawyer identifies risks, explains implications, and provides markup with proposed changes for discussion.

Contract Negotiation Support

Position developmentResponse draftingDirect negotiationStrategic advice

Negotiating contracts can be uncomfortable. Your lawyer provides support, from coaching you on positions to handling negotiations directly with the other party's counsel.

Commercial Lease Review, Drafting & Negotiation

Rent & operating expensesPersonal guaranteesRenewal & assignmentTermination provisions

Review, drafting, and negotiation of commercial leases, amendments, and renewals, with attention to financial obligations, personal guarantees, operating responsibilities, and exit provisions.

Master Service Agreements

Baseline termsWork order structureFlexibilityRelationship protection

MSAs establish the baseline terms for ongoing relationships, with work orders for specific projects. Lawyers help you develop proposed terms that address your priorities and can be discussed with clients or vendors.

Vendor & Supplier Agreements

Risk allocationService levelsRemediesTermination rights

Your vendors can create significant exposure, delivery failures, quality issues, data breaches. Lawyers draft agreements that allocate risk appropriately and provide recourse when things go wrong.

Customer & Client Agreements

Scope clarityPayment termsLiability limitsRemedy provisions

Clear customer terms can reduce uncertainty, allocate responsibility, and set practical expectations. Lawyers draft agreements suited to the transaction and applicable law.

Terms of Service & Privacy Policies

Legal complianceUser termsPrivacy practicesLiability protection

Online terms and privacy policies should reflect your actual business practices and applicable requirements. Lawyers help identify relevant obligations and draft policies suited to those practices.

Non-Disclosure Agreements

Confidentiality scopePermitted usesDurationReturn and deletion terms

Protect confidential information in discussions with potential partners, vendors, employees, or investors. Lawyers draft NDAs appropriate for your situation, one-way, mutual, or specific to particular contexts.

Non-Compete & Non-Solicitation

Scope definitionDuration limitsGeographic boundsEnforceability focus

Restrictive covenants are reviewed under the law that applies to the relationship. Lawyers help assess whether tailored confidentiality, non-solicitation, or other provisions are permitted and appropriate.

Independent Contractor Agreements

Classification reviewIP assignmentDeliverable clarityCompliance review

Contractor agreements can clarify responsibilities, deliverables, and intellectual-property rights. Classification depends on the actual working relationship and applicable law, not just the contract's label; lawyers help assess those questions.

Licensing Agreements

Rights definitionUsage restrictionsRoyalty structuresTermination conditions

Whether licensing your IP to others or licensing theirs for your use, the terms matter. Lawyers draft licensing agreements that clearly define rights, restrictions, and compensation.

Letters of Intent

Key term summaryBinding provisionsExclusivity termsTimeline expectations

LOIs set expectations and key terms before detailed negotiations. Lawyers draft LOIs that protect your position while keeping deals moving toward completion.

Virtual Contract Support

Practical contract support from anywhere.

The virtual-first approach makes it possible to exchange documents, discuss issues without travel, and coordinate around the transaction's timeline.

Scoped timing based on the agreement, requested work, negotiation needs, and your business deadline.

Video review sessions walk through issues together, explaining concerns and discussing options in real time.

Client portal access supports markup review, feedback, and document organization.

MyRelevant for Contracts

Contract Repository

Keep available agreements organized for reference in the client portal.

Quick Questions

Ask about contract terms or implications without scheduling calls.

Key Date Tracking

Renewal dates, notice periods, and other deadlines tracked automatically.

Virtual Reviews

Walk through contract issues together via video conference.

Markup & Comments

Review redlines and comments directly in the portal.

Document Sharing

Coordinate document sharing with the people involved in the engagement.

The Process

What to expect when working with your lawyer on contracts.

01

Intake

Share whether you need drafting, review, or negotiation support with the Client Intake Team. After engagement, your lawyer discusses the agreement, goals, concerns, and timeline.

02

Analysis

For reviews, the lawyer analyzes the agreement and prepares markup or a summary of issues. For drafting, your lawyer gathers the information needed to create your agreement. Timing is scoped based on complexity and your business deadline.

03

Review Meeting

Your lawyer walks through the analysis, explains issues in plain English, and discusses options. For new agreements, the draft is reviewed together.

04

Refinement

Based on your feedback and the negotiation, documents are refined for your review and approval.

05

Execution

When terms are final, the team can help coordinate signing through the portal or another agreed method and organize available executed copies.

06

Portfolio Management

For ongoing engagements, the team can help organize executed contracts and identify renewal dates or key obligations for follow-up.

Common Questions

Contract questions answered.

Should I have a lawyer review every contract?

Not necessarily every contract, but significant ones, certainly. Contracts that involve substantial money, long terms, significant risk, key relationships, or unusual terms warrant review. Your lawyer can help you develop criteria for what merits legal review and what you can handle internally.

How long does contract review take?

Timing depends on the agreement's length and complexity, the governing law, the requested work, and whether negotiation is involved. Share your business deadline during intake so the team can confirm scope and availability.

What if the other side won't accept my changes?

Negotiation is about priorities. Your lawyer helps you identify which terms are essential versus preferred, and develop strategies for achieving what matters most. Sometimes the right answer is walking away from a bad deal.

Can you create a template to use repeatedly?

Yes. For recurring contract needs, lawyers can create customer agreements, vendor terms, NDAs, or other templates with guidance about when customization or another review is appropriate.

What about contracts I've been using for years?

Existing contracts often have issues, outdated terms, missing provisions, or language that doesn't reflect current law. Your lawyer can audit your contract library and update documents that need improvement.

How much does contract work cost?

Fees depend on the agreement's length and complexity, whether drafting or negotiation is involved, and the requested timeline. The team confirms the proposed scope and fee before legal work begins; contact your location for current pricing.

Can this be done entirely virtually?

Many contract matters can be handled virtually. Documents can be exchanged through the client portal, reviews can occur by video, and electronic signatures may be used when appropriate. The team will identify any step that requires a different process.

What if a dispute arises after the contract is signed?

The firm focuses on advisory work and business negotiation, not litigation or contested dispute representation. A lawyer can review the agreement, explain relevant provisions, and help with a business-focused negotiation when appropriate. If the matter requires adversarial representation, the team can help identify outside counsel.

Ready to protect your business?

Schedule a consultation to discuss your contract needs, whether drafting new agreements or reviewing what's in front of you.