Consulting contracts are an important but often overlooked aspect of consulting work. Going through a menu of contractual clauses, Nina Yablok will review major clauses that should appear in a consulting contract. Attendees will gain an understanding of why each clause might be used, and what risks might be associated with deleting it.
Contracts will be looked at from the consultants' standpoint, but standard customer-supplied clauses will also be examined. The goal is to provide the ingredients for a contract that will reduce the consultant's liability, reduce the risk of non-payment, make enforcement of payment as easy as possible, and not be so one-sided that the customer won't sign it.
Participants are invited to bring examples of The Worst Contractual Clause Ever. These clauses will likely fit the categories of Least Comprehensible and Most Unfavorable Terms Not Including Pricing.
Here is a pair of sample contracts that Nina discussed at this meeting.
She is a graduate of St. John's University School of Law in New York City. She is active with the Business Law sections of both the State Bar of California and the Santa Clara County Bar Association.
Ms. Yablok has written and lectured extensively in the areas of independent contractor relationships and business start-ups. In addition to many magazine articles, she is the author of Minimizing Independent Contractor Disputes Action Guide, published by University of California, Continuing Education of the Bar. She also lectures extensively on topics of interest to consultants and business owners, including:
Nina enjoys working with high-tech companies, and she shares her thoughts on business, law and other topics on her BizLaw Blog.