Agreements that reflect how you do business
A contract should make clear what each party must do, when money changes hands, and what happens if the relationship changes. Those terms need to reflect the deal your business intends to make and the obligations it can realistically carry out.
LMB Partners drafts, reviews, and negotiates business contracts for companies and their owners. We help clients understand the practical consequences of proposed terms, identify issues that deserve attention, and document agreements that support their commercial objectives.
Contracts for your business relationships
We assist with customer and vendor agreements, sales and service contracts, licensing arrangements, and confidentiality agreements. The work may involve preparing an agreement for a new relationship, reviewing the other party’s form, or updating terms your business uses regularly.
The starting point is the transaction itself. What is being supplied? Who depends on whose performance? What would a delay, unpaid invoice, or early termination mean for the business? Those answers help determine where the agreement needs detail and which risks matter most.
Terms that deserve close attention
The price and signature page rarely tell the whole story. Our review considers how the provisions work together, including:
Scope and performance: What each party must deliver, applicable deadlines, acceptance requirements, and how changes to the work are approved and priced.
Payment: When invoices are due, what conditions affect payment, and how disputed charges, expenses, or incomplete performance will be handled.
Termination and renewal: How long the agreement lasts, whether it renews automatically, required notice, opportunities to cure a breach, and obligations that continue after termination.
Liability and indemnification: Which losses each party may be responsible for, whether liability is limited, and when one party must defend or reimburse the other for a claim.
Intellectual property and confidentiality: Who owns existing materials and newly created work, what each party may use, and how confidential information must be handled during and after the relationship.
We also consider provisions that may affect future business decisions, such as exclusivity, assignment restrictions, and consent requirements when ownership changes.
A practical approach to review and negotiation
We begin with your objectives, the commercial background, and any terms already discussed or agreed. We review the draft alongside relevant proposals, schedules, and existing agreements to identify gaps, conflicts, and commitments that may be difficult to meet.
Our advice explains the issues and available choices in business terms. We help distinguish points worth negotiating from risks you may be prepared to accept, propose revisions, and work through the other party’s response. The goal is to support an informed decision while keeping the value of the relationship and your negotiating position in view.
When to involve counsel
Legal review is useful before you sign, renew, or materially change an important agreement. Bring counsel in early when a contract commits substantial resources, involves valuable intellectual property, limits other business opportunities, or creates obligations beyond the immediate project.
Existing agreements may also need attention when performance changes or a disagreement emerges. For recurring contract needs, our outside counsel services provide continuing advice as commercial relationships develop.
Contracts within the larger business picture
A commercial agreement may affect an eventual sale or require approvals under the company’s ownership documents. Our contract work connects with advice on mergers and acquisitions and operating agreements, helping clients consider those connections before committing.
Discuss your agreement
Michael P. Barry advises businesses and their owners on commercial contracts and related transactions. Schedule a consultation to discuss the agreement, your priorities, and any signing or notice deadline. A draft and a short description of the business relationship provide a useful starting point.
Business Contracts
