An introduction to contract law
OverviewThis highly-focused one-day programme has been designed to
give non-legal audiences a firm grasp of the basic principles of English
contract law. It will help all those dealing with customers or suppliers
to cost-effectively avoid exposing your organisation to undue legal risk.
Training
objectivesHaving attended this event participants will be better
able to:
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Understand the legal consequences of their actions and decisions in
dealing with customers and suppliers
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Avoid legal pitfalls
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Participate effectively in contract negotiations
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Appreciate the consequences of non-performance
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Enforce contractual terms
As a result of attending this course, all the participants will be able to
recognise or anticipate contractual problems and will know when to raise
concerns or seek advice.
AudienceAll staff who need a basic
understanding of contract law, including:
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Contracts and commercial staff
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Procurement staff
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Sales teams
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Project managers and engineers
The programme is particularly useful for those who have had no formal
training in the subject, this course is also a very useful 'refresher'. It
is equally applicable to the public and the private sectors.
FormatThis
intensive one-day course covers a significant amount of material and is
based primarily around formal presentations from the expert trainer,
although with ample opportunity for participants to raise issues of
particular concern to them.
Special featuresThis course can
be tailored to the specific needs of your particular organisation, to take
into account such factors as industry sector (eg, construction contracts
are very different from consumer contracts), use of standard forms and
nature of business (eg, international contracts need to be approached in a
very different way).
The expert trainerChris is a solicitor
who has been running his own practice for more than ten years. Formerly an
in-house lawyer with George Wimpey plc and before that with Costain Group
plc, he has extensive hands-on experience of the practical problems faced
by businesses and has many years of experience in training non-legal
audiences in contract and commercial law. A fully accredited and
practising adjudicator, he has a particular expertise in building and
construction contracts and has for many years lectured on a part-time
basis to post-graduate engineering students at Kingston University.
Course
outline
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Formation of contract
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Tenders
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Letters of intent
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Complete contract clauses
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Side letters
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Formal legal requirements
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Jurisdiction and governing law
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Jurisdiction clauses
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Governing law clauses
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EU rules
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Arbitration
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Express and implied terms
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Proof
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Classification
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Construction
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Exemption and limitation clauses
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Differences between consumer and commercial contracts
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Unfair Contract Terms Act
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Force majeure
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Capacity of parties
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Corporations, including companies
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Personal capacity
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Agency
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Types of agency
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Liability of principal and agent
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Consideration
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Executed, executory and past
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Mistake
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Effect on validity of contract
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Illegality and public policy
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Severance of contract
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Restraint of trade
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Assignment and novation
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Need for consent to assign or novate
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Effect of assignment or novation
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Partnerships, joint ventures and joint obligations
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Joint and several liability
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Incorporating joint ventures
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Third party rights
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Privity and Effect of Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act
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Limitation and remedies for breach of contract
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Six and twelve year limitation periods
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Effect of the Latent Damage Act
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Possibility of a contracting party having other liabilities
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Damages
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Declarations
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Injunctions
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Specific performance
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Mediation, arbitration and adjudication
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Outline of different objectives and procedures
