Drafting and Enforcing Termination Clauses in Commercial Contracts
Maximizing Recovery or Minimizing Loss When Contracts End Due to Breach, Insolvency, Milestone Failure, Expiration or Other Reason

Course Details
- smart_display Format
On-Demand
- signal_cellular_alt Difficulty Level
- work Practice Area
Class Action and Other Litigation
- event Date
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
- schedule Time
1:00 PM E.T.
- timer Program Length
90 minutes
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This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.
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Live Online
On Demand
This CLE course will provide guidance to business counsel on drafting and enforcing the termination provision in commercial contracts. The panel will discuss common termination triggers, including material breach of contract, insolvency, milestone failure, contract expiration or convenience; strategies to maximize recovery rights or minimize losses when a contract is terminated; and limitations and enforcement challenges with the termination clause.
Description
Commercial contracts are terminated for a number of reasons, including material breach of contract, insolvency of a party, milestone failure, contract expiration or convenience. Because contract terminations can have significant legal and financial implications for both parties, counsel representing contracting parties should thoughtfully draft and negotiate the termination and related remedies provisions at the start of the relationship.
When termination of a commercial contract appears to be imminent, counsel should develop strategies to pursue or attack enforcement of the termination provision, take steps to ensure the termination is properly executed, identify the contractual rights and obligations that survive the termination of the contract or arise as a result of the termination, and devise a plan to obtain or limit post-termination remedies.
Listen as our authoritative panel explains best practices related to drafting and enforcing the termination provision in business contracts. The panel will discuss common contracting pitfalls, challenges with enforcement of the clause, and rights and obligations of each party following the termination of a commercial contract.
Outline
- Drafting termination provisions that anticipate and address:
- Material breach of contract
- Insolvency/bankruptcy
- Failure to reach a contractual milestone
- Contract expiration
- Convenience
- Navigating the termination process
- Notice of termination
- Opportunity to cure default
- Contractual provisions, rights and obligations that survive termination
- Duties and obligations of parties that arise from termination
- Post-termination remedies—limitations and enforcement challenges
Benefits
The panel will review these and other key issues:
- What are the most common reasons commercial contracts are terminated?
- What best practices should counsel to contracting parties follow when drafting the termination provision?
- What legal and practical challenges do counsel face when seeking to enforce or prevent enforcement of the termination provision—and how can they overcome them?
- What rights and obligations survive the termination of a commercial contract? What obligations arise when a termination occurs?
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