About the Course
Introduction
This CLE webinar will provide practical guidance on how to turn a commercial contract assignment into a complete, review-ready first draft. Newer attorneys are often asked to prepare a commercial contract first draft from a term sheet, email, prior agreement, or form. Given little guidance on how to evaluate the assignment or discern what belongs in the document, the challenge lies beyond drafting provisions. Success means understanding what the parties wish to accomplish, why particular sections should appear in the agreement, and how those sections work together as best practice.
Description
The faculty will explore practical processes for selecting and using precedent, translating business terms into contractual rights and obligations, and determining what should be retained, revised, added, or omitted. The panel will also discuss spotting and understanding provisions allocating risk, identifying missing information and unresolved issues, and how to avoid leaving legacy terms that do not fit the transaction.
Before submitting any draft, the attorney must undertake a thorough quality control review and clearly communicate any assumptions, open questions, and areas needing further direction. The goal is delivery of a contemplated, complete, and efficient first draft that allows for meaningful managerial review.
Listen as our faculty provides practical guidance for moving from the initial drafting assignment to a review-ready commercial agreement.
Presented By
Mr. Trevarthen retired in 2015 from The Toro Company as Director, Division Counsel after over 25 years of service. At Toro, he had extensive experience with negotiating, drafting, and enforcing contracts across a wide range of subject matters and business units. Prior to Toro, Prof. Trevarthen worked from 1979-1987 as a Project Engineer for General Motors Corporation in Saginaw, MI and for Tennant Company in Golden Valley, MN.
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This 60-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.0 CLE credits.
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Date + Time
- event
Thursday, September 17, 2026
- schedule
1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT
I. Understanding the assignment and the transaction
A. Business objectives, deal terms, and intended deliverable
B. Available materials, assumptions, and open questions
C. Expectations of the supervising attorney or client
II. Evaluating and using precedent
A. Selecting an appropriate starting document
B. Understanding the purpose of agreement sections and provisions
C. Determining what to retain, revise, add, or omit
III. Building the first draft
A. Organizing the agreement and translating business terms
B. Understanding how provisions interact and allocate risk
C. Addressing gaps, inconsistencies, and unresolved issues
IV. Preparing the draft for review
A. Reviewing for clarity, consistency, and completeness
B. Identifying assumptions and matters requiring direction
C. Delivering an efficient and useful review-forward draft
The panel will review these and other important considerations:
- Clarifying the drafting assignment and the objectives of the transaction
- Understanding the purpose and function of principal agreement sections
- Selecting, evaluating, and adapting forms and precedent agreements
- Identifying missing terms, open questions, and risk allocation issues
- Preparing a clear, consistent, and useful first draft for review
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