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AGENDA

Pre-Program Preparation     

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Each delegate will be given electronic copies of Cyril’s books Managing Your Contracts (Revised 5th edition 2022, 335 pages) and Managing Your Legal Issues (First edition 2022, 338 pages). 

 

Our expert trainer Cyril Jankoff will lead a 30-minute video teleconference prior to the workshop, covering the course purpose and answering any questions you may have, to help you get the most out of the course.

8:30 REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE  

 

8:50 NETWORK INTRODUCTIONS 

9:00 SESSION 1. UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF CREATING A CONTRACT

  • Explaining why it is necessary to consider risks in the negotiation process 

  • Defining the essential elements of a contracts 

  • What constitutes an Agreement? 

  • Contractual certainty and its relevance in contracts  

  • Analysing the concepts of offer & acceptance and invitations to treat  

  • Overcoming the “battle of the forms” risks 

  • Understanding the necessity for consideration  

  • Intent and its relevance in contracts  

  • Ways that a contract can become invalid or unenforceable 

  • Who should you not deal with when contracting? 

  • Evaluating signatory contract capacity and how it affects the validity of an agreement 

  • What contracts must, by law, be in writing to be enforceable? 

  • Determining who needs to prove what in a dispute? 

  • Activity: Negotiating key legal, financial, managerial, and risk issues.  

10:30 MORNING TEA

10:50 SESSION 2. KEY CONTRACT OPERATIONAL ISSUES  

  • Drafting terms that avoid potential problems 

  • Recognise differences between implied and express warranties 

  • Establishing contractual terms which reflect your organisation’s interests 

  • Promissory terms – conditions, warranties & intermediate terms 

  • Examining how exemption clauses can disadvantage a party 

  • Determining the parties to a contract 

  • Explaining the legal need for “privity of contract” 

  • Risks associated with ending a contract 

  • Termination clauses and things to consider before terminating 

  • Remedies, including promissory estoppel – The Walton Stores case 

  • Examining liquidated damages, general damages and penalties 

  • When to use a deed (formal contract) in a commercial agreement 

  • Ways to interpret the contract  

  • Methods of dispute resolution 

  • Writing variations to the agreed terms 

  • Activity: “Support will be provided …”

12:30 LUNCH

1:15 SESSION 3. ANALYSING THE IMPACT OF CHANGES TO CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS 

  • Analysing Australia’s consumer protection laws  

  • Avoiding misleading or deceptive conduct penalties  

  • Determining whether the conduct is prohibited ‘unconscionable conduct’ 

  • Describing and avoiding unfair consumer contract conduct 

  • Evaluating the impact of unfair practices on the rest of a contract 

  • Determining whether you are acting unfairly 

  • Understanding how the implied terms and guarantees law functions 

  • Analysing product safety and product liability laws 

  • Examining your contracts from a risk-benefits analysis 

  • Understanding penalty provisions to avoid financial losses  

  • Avoiding competition law problems (agreements that reduce competition) law. 

  • Activity: Misleading or deceptive cases, including greenwashing. 

2:45  AFTERNOON TEA

3:05 SESSION 4. DRAFTING AND UNDERSTANDING THE COMMERCIAL CONTRACT 

The first three sessions focused on contract and consumer law fundamentals, but we need to understand how to apply ‘dry’ legal concepts to our daily routines. This session will show you how to deal with the typical types of contracts you might encounter. Here, we examine the key parts of the contractual document, including the parties, goods and services, payment, when the deliverables need to be provided, the risks involved, and many problematic contractual terms. 

 

  • Exploring key problematic contract terms, including indemnity, capping of liabilities, intellectual property, insurance and force majeure. 

  • Analysing the nine key parts of a contract 

  • Using the ‘Five Ps’ model to draft a commercial contract. 

  • Describing the need for clear terms 

  • Reviewing the interpretation and variation clauses  

  • How the “commercial contract tree” makes the process easier to understand. 

  • Analysing the ten key commercial contract pitfalls. 

  • Activity 1: Review of a sample commercial contract. 

  • Activity 2: List key risks to address when returning to the office. 

Course Wrap Up & End of Masterclass

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