About this Conference
Drafting Clearer Contracts: Essentials of Clear, Concise, and Modern Drafting
Contract drafting is a core activity of corporate lawyers, paralegals, and contracts administrators. But it's also challenging.
Traditionally, there has been little training in contract drafting, which has generally consisted of recycling forms of questionable quality and relevance. Ken Adams offers an antidote - a uniquely rigorous overview of issues relating to contract language and layout, based on his book A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, Second Edition.
This workshop explores what makes for clear and effective contracts. Ken uses examples throughout drawn from actual contracts. Rather than simply lecturing, he uses questions and drafting exercises to encourage participation. He also emphasizes the practical considerations unique to the drafting process.
Conference Faculty
Ken Adams is the leading authority on the language of contracts. He focuses not on what to say in a given contract, but how to say it clearly and effectively.
In his writings, Adams has rigorously analyzed the full range of issues that a drafter confronts when deciding on the language and layout of a contract. His pioneering book A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting (ABA 2d ed. 2008) is in widespread use throughout the legal profession.
An important part of Adams' scholarship lies in explicating it to students and practitioners. Adams teaches the first-ever course in contract drafting at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He also conducts public and in-house seminars in the U.S., Canada, and internationally.
Adams practiced corporate law at major law firms in New York and Geneva, Switzerland. Adams received his undergraduate degree from the University of York, England, and attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School.