Working with Contracts: What Law School Doesn't Teach You

The Quick: This book is great for all incoming corporate associates and for anyone who has to deal with contracts on a regular basis. The writing is clear, concise but yet detailed enough to give you an idea of what you may face in the real world. Why Listen to Me: I've practiced as a Corporate Associate at a Vault top 10 law firm in NY and the best firm in New Jersey. I've practiced in Capital Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity groups. I've also reviewed, analyzed and summarized countless contracts. I have drafted some ancillary agreements but wanted to bolster my drafting know-how and this book was perfect to help me do that. The Examples: Some other reviewers have complained that the examples are skewed towards debt financing and real estate agreements, but I didn't find that to be the case. I thought they were varied enough to be able to apply whatever principle that was being exemplified to real life situations, but then again, I've done this before to some degree so it was easier for me to envision how certain principles applied to what I had seen at work and what I may see later. The Recommendation: If I was a partner in charge of training associates, I would make this mandatory reading. Although, I have the benefit of 3.5 years of experience and many concepts were already familiar to me, had I read this book prior to practicing, it would have prevented many mistakes and allowed me a greater chance to excel from the get-go. Charles M. Fox (the author) is a great writer and he does an amazing job of explaining complex concepts and making it accessible to everyone. The book is not long but covers a great amount of material. It is also indexed well so you can jump to any section you wish. I have already marked, underlined and annotated this book on pretty much every page. I am certain I will return to it many times as I continue to practice corporate law. Disclaimer: I did not receive this product in exchange for a positive review and I do not know the author personally. I am simply sharing my thoughts on what I think is an excellent primer for those practicing in this arena.

I have been litigating on behalf of clients for the past 4 years. For the most part, I see the pitfalls, head aches and problems recognized long after the parties celebrated signing a new deal. Then a client came to me with a request-- he asked me to help negotiate his contract keeping an eye on the issues with litigation potential. (Quite a refreshing request I might add) Shifting gears, I had to brush up on current contract drafting practices and strategy. This book provided an excellent resource as to structure, potential interpretations, expectations, timing of the exchange of drafts.... well written, many areas covered quickly, not labored or too vague. I recommend this book along with Tina Stark's Negotiating Contract Boilerplate for practical contract drafting and review information. And if Charles Fox writes another book - I'd love a copy! Thanks!

Great read. Surprisingly makes an area that was not my favorite in law school quite interesting--I really can't put it down and want to keep learning. Succinct to teach you a lot of information quickly, but very readable and never feels dense. Written clearly and well but stays away from random anecdotes and fluff that I find distracting in some books. Guide to how it really works to draft it, with an eye to later litigation implications of certain approaches, but not the litigation-oriented/how do we sue under a contract approach from law school. Sticks to solid examples and logical points for different principles. (My background is a lawyer new to transactional drafting.) Highly recommended. Is just what the title says.

I fully enjoyed reading this book and learnt a lot. I read this from the perspective of a South African lawyer and many of the things contained herein were helpful. The author is knowledgeable and his tips are practical. I have rated this 4/5 stars as there was a portion on securities/loan drafting, which, while useful for someone in that industry, was not useful for me. It unfortunately took up a large portion of the book. Otherwise, this was an excellent book and would whole-heatedly recommend.

I am a law school student who plans on pursuing a career as a transaction lawyer. This is by far the best book I have read on contract drafting, review and strategy. It covers basic contract structure, as well as guides you through potential interpretations of provisions, expectations, and the exchange of drafts with opposing counsel. It is very well written and easy to follow. It covers many areas quickly, without losing depth. I would recommend this book as an excellent resource for both new and seasoned attorneys, even litigators who want to understand more about contract disputes.

I’m an attorney with 25 years experience; purchased this to bone up on contracts for a new job. Found it engaging, useful, and worth every penny.

This book is invaluable for law students or beginning lawyers. Law school teaches little or nothing about what actually goes into a business contract. This book explains how business contracts are organized, what the various terms do, what's conventional and customary, and what's negotiable. Yes, you could pick all this up on your own in 2-5 years of legal practice, but why not get a jump start on the learning curve?

As a non-lawyer who drafts contracts, this book has been very helpful. I am going to suggest it to my manager as training materials for my position in the future. It is a little tough to get through chapter 2, but chapters 3 and 4 have been much easier (I'm still reading through it currently). I will be keeping this at my desk as a reference tool.

This book contains a wealth of knowledge. I consider it a must read for any solicitor.

Das Buch ist ein gutes Lehrbuch, das die Brücke zwischen Hörsaaltheorie und Praxis schlägt. Bezogen auf das amerikanische Rechtssystem werden dem Leser viele Stützen gegeben, wie die gelernte Theorie angewendet wird und wie im "echten Leben" mit Fällen umgegangen wird. Ein ähnlich gutes Buch für das deutsche Recht suche ich immer noch...

If you want to work with contracts, this is one of the best books. Although many things are obvious for lawyers, it is still efficient and well organized. It helps you also with risk management in contracts since it shows you the possible lacks that can exist in a contract.

I have heard that this is a book written by an exemplary drafter and that there are no similar books on contract drafting out there. Having read the book, I am positive that this book will bring a wealth of practical knowledge about contract drafting to those who have to draft or review contracts.

英文契約書のドラフティングの手引書として英語で執筆された本書を当方のような非英語圏の読者が購入する主な目的は、英文契約書の作成に際して、英語の確立した用語・表現を定評のある本で能率的に確認し借用させてもらうところにあると思うが、本書に先立ち購入した翻訳本では多くの重要な用語・表現が日本語に置き換えられており上記目的からは使い勝手が悪かった。このため原書を追加購入した次第。 結果的に二重投資になってしまったが翻訳版の該当箇所に手早く目を通した上で英語の用語・表現を原書で入念にチェックするといった作業を通じて出費に見合った効用は得ている。