Using third-party paper can be a bit like playing a football game on the road – if you don’t have a smart game plan, you’re going to be in trouble. That’s why it is important to have a strategy when reviewing and negotiation your counterparty’s contract template. Especially when you’re dealing with a complex contract, like a SaaS agreement. Last week’s article introduced the first two plays to consider when you’re stuck using someone else’s template.  Check out this week’s article for the remaining plays.

Using your own contract template while negotiating a commercial agreement has been compared to playing a football game in your own stadium. When you’re playing at home, you are familiar with the layout and there are rarely any surprises. On the other hand, when you’re playing away, there are variables that you should take into consideration.  Using third-party paper can be a bit like playing a football game on the road – if you don’t have a smart game plan to review the template and identify the differentiators, you’re going to be in trouble.

“Will restricting changes to a contract template by use of a restrictive format help speed up the contract review process?” The simple answer is NO. In fact, choosing the wrong, aka a restrictive, format will only delay the contract review process. Using PDFs in commercial contracts is on the decline. This article will provide a winning strategy for streamlining contracts the right way.