Sign only if you wish to be bound

Contracts

It is a common practice in certain sectors where parties enter into a short form agreement, typically a letter of offer or letter of award which requires the parties to enter into an agreement within a specified period of time. The second agreement sets out the detailed terms and conditions. Such practice is commonly seen in banking facility agreements and construction related agreements.

The terms and conditions of the letter of offer or letter of award are usually legally binding and incorporated into the detailed agreement.

Parties should check the terms and conditions of the letter of offer or letter of award carefully and sign only if they agree to the terms and conditions.

They should not sign the letter of offer or letter of award thinking that they could change the terms and conditions later when they enter into the detailed agreement.

Once accepted, any amendment to the terms and conditions of the letter of offer or letter of award is subject to the other parties’ consent, which may not necessarily be forthcoming.

#malaysiancorporatelawyer

#thinkbeforeyousign

This post was first post on Linkedin on 24 February 2021.

Linkedin Post
Getting into the details to make a deal work

A big part of my role as a corporate lawyer has been listening to clients explain the commercial terms they want in their deals. The next step is asking the right questions that make those terms work in the real world. Sometimes the parties have a general idea of the …

Linkedin Post
Founder Exit: Legal Checklist to Avoid Delays

Before buyers commit, their lawyers will conduct legal due diligence that may uncover gaps or non-compliance which delay the founder’s exit or reduce the price. This list helps founders/ sellers resolve common legal issues before they’re flagged in legal due diligence. Share Capital & Shareholders  Have all past share allotments …

Linkedin Post
Founders selling for the first time need more than high-level legal advice

Some founders selling their businesses for the first time are not sure where legal advice is needed or how deep that advice should go. In past deals where I acted for buyers, I have seen: – A founder who asked their lawyer for a “high-level review” of sale and purchase …