Practising Law Institute Working with Contracts: What School Doesn't Teach You (PLI's Corporate and Securities Library)

The Quick: This book is great for all incoming corporate associates and for anyone who has to deal with contracts on a regular basis. The writing is clear, concise but yet detailed enough to give you an idea of what you may face in the real world. Why Listen to Me: I've practiced as a Corporate Associate at a Vault top 10 law firm in NY and the best firm in New Jersey. I've practiced in Capital Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity groups. I've also reviewed, analyzed and summarized countless contracts. I have drafted some ancillary agreements but wanted to bolster my drafting know-how and this book was perfect to help me do that. The Examples: Some other reviewers have complained that the examples are skewed towards debt financing and real estate agreements, but I didn't find that to be the case. I thought they were varied enough to be able to apply whatever principle that was being exemplified to real life situations, but then again, I've done this before to some degree so it was easier for me to envision how certain principles applied to what I had seen at work and what I may see later. The Recommendation: If I was a partner in charge of training associates, I would make this mandatory reading. Although, I have the benefit of 3.5 years of experience and many concepts were already familiar to me, had I read this book prior to practicing, it would have prevented many mistakes and allowed me a greater chance to excel from the get-go. Charles M. Fox (the author) is a great writer and he does an amazing job of explaining complex concepts and making it accessible to everyone. The book is not long but covers a great amount of material. It is also indexed well so you can jump to any section you wish. I have already marked, underlined and annotated this book on pretty much every page. I am certain I will return to it many times as I continue to practice corporate law. Disclaimer: I did not receive this product in exchange for a positive review and I do not know the author personally. I am simply sharing my thoughts on what I think is an excellent primer for those practicing in this arena.

This book contains a wealth of knowledge. I consider it a must read for any solicitor.

Das Buch ist ein gutes Lehrbuch, das die Brücke zwischen Hörsaaltheorie und Praxis schlägt. Bezogen auf das amerikanische Rechtssystem werden dem Leser viele Stützen gegeben, wie die gelernte Theorie angewendet wird und wie im "echten Leben" mit Fällen umgegangen wird. Ein ähnlich gutes Buch für das deutsche Recht suche ich immer noch...

If you want to work with contracts, this is one of the best books. Although many things are obvious for lawyers, it is still efficient and well organized. It helps you also with risk management in contracts since it shows you the possible lacks that can exist in a contract.

I have heard that this is a book written by an exemplary drafter and that there are no similar books on contract drafting out there. Having read the book, I am positive that this book will bring a wealth of practical knowledge about contract drafting to those who have to draft or review contracts.