About Commercial Law
As a commercial lawyer, you have to cover a lot of ground. Today, you might be drawing up agreements for suppliers. Tomorrow, you might be dealing with a query on intellectual property. When you're wearing so many hats, sometimes the real challenge is simply knowing where to start. Whatever the challenge, Lexis+ Commercial is the only place you need to look. You'll find clear, concise practice notes that not only explain the legal principles, but include practical tips on how to apply them in real life - with direct links to the relevant legislation, case law, commentary, forms and precedents you'll need. And because an increasing number of our forms and precedents are being automated, with LexisSmart, you can draft a contract or generate a whole suite of documents just by filling in one questionnaire. Plus, you'll get regular news updates and analysis, to help you keep an eye on what's happening in the law and the market.
Contracts
Helping you deliver watertight contracts. We cover the contract lifecycle from negotiation to termination. Providing guidance and precedents to assist with all aspects of contract management.
Contract clause bank
Offering a wealth of practical drafting and negotiating checklists, precedent contract clauses and practice notes to help you confidently negotiate, draft and execute robust commercial agreements.
Supplier management
Our supplier management tools and guidance help you build resilient supply chains. Assisting with supplier selection, the procurement of goods and services, sustainability, compliance and more.
Key developments
Whether you have a broad or niche commercial practice, staying on top of ongoing developments is a challenge. Our weekly highlights and topic trackers keep you up to date with all the latest developments.
Topics We Cover
Latest Commercial News
Commercial analysis: This was a sale of goods dispute, in which the parties had agreed the price of a fixed quantity of product, with the price for...
Details of updates to HMRC import, export and customs guidance for the period from 24 to 30 June 2025....
The IAB Technology Laboratory (IAB Tech Lab) has announced a new Large Language Model (LLM) Content Ingest API Initiative on 4 June 2025. The...
The European Parliament’s Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection has adopted a report proposing measures to address the rise in...
This week's edition of Commercial weekly highlights includes: judgment of the Court of Appeal in KSY Juice Blends UK Ltd v Citrosuco where the court...
Latest Commercial Practice Notes
Negotiation guide—services agreementsIntroductionThis Practice Note provides a negotiation guide for services agreements. It sets out key positions...
How to appoint a sales and marketing agentThis Practice Note is a ‘how to’ guide on appointing a sales and marketing agent. It includes a summary of...
Data protection collection—user guidanceWe have produced a collection that collates key practical guidance on the specific legal and practical...
How to comply with cookie requirements under PECR 2003 and the UK GDPRFORTHCOMING CHANGE: On 19 June 2025, the Data (Use and Access) Bill received...
WTO—an introductory guideWhat is the World Trade Organization (WTO)?The WTO administers the WTO trade agreements which govern trade between states. It...
Latest Commercial Precedents
EU Digital Operations Resilience Act—ScheduleDORA SCHEDULE1Definitions and interpretation1.1The following capitalised terms used in this Schedule have...
Retained EU law—training materials [Archived]ARCHIVED: This Precedent has been archived and is not maintained.These training materials consist of...
Drop ship agreement—pro-supplierThis Agreement is made on [date]Parties1[insert name of supplier] [of OR a company incorporated in [England and Wales]...
Drop ship agreement—pro-customer (merchant)This Agreement is made on [date]Parties1[insert name of supplier] [of OR a company incorporated in [England...
Consignment stock agreement—pro-supplierThis Agreement is made on [date]Parties1[insert name of supplier] [of OR a company incorporated in [England...
Latest Commercial Q&As
Featured Commercial content
Fiduciary Duties
Fiduciary DutiesWho is a fiduciary?There is no comprehensive list of the relationships which give rise to the existence of fiduciary duties under...
Repudiation of contract
RepudiationThis Practice Note concerns repudiation and sets out what a repudiatory breach of contract means. It explains how a repudiatory breach goes...
If a contract’s actual date and effective date are different, is the effective date enforceable?
Agent and principal relationships with third parties
Agent and principal relationships with third partiesThis Practice Note deals with the relationships arising between principals, agents and third...
Mistake in contract law
Mistake in contract lawThis Practice Note considers the legal concept of mistake in contract law. It examines common mistake, mutual mistake,...
Do the terms ‘Schedule’, ‘Appendix’, ‘Annex’ or similar have any particular meaning in commercial contracts? What should I consider if using them?
Contracts required to be in writing
Contracts required to be in writingThis Practice Note considers the specific situations where a contract is required by law to be in writing:...
Subcontracting
SubcontractingThis Practice Note examines the following legal and practical matters in relation to entering into a subcontract or when granting...
Waiver and release
Waiver and releaseDefining waiverIn the law of contract, the term ‘waiver’ may have different meanings but is most commonly used to denote the...
Nature and types of agency
Nature and types of agencyThis Practice Note is an introduction to agency. It describes the essentials of the agency relationship between the...
Termination and expiry of contracts
Termination and expiry of contractsThis Practice Note provides an overview of contract expiry and of the different causes of termination and ways to...
Joint, several, and joint and several liability
Joint, several, and joint and several liabilityContractWhere a contract is made by two or more parties it may contain a promise or obligation made by...
What date should be put on a contract where the parties have not signed the contract contemporaneously? Is the date stated as the 'commencement date' in the contract or is it when the last of the parties signs/seals the contract?
Agreements to agree
Agreements to agreeThis Practice Note considers agreements to agree, and why an agreement to agree certain contractual terms at a future date has...
What is the significance of the words ‘warrants’ and ‘undertakes’ in a contractual obligation?
Which case law supports that an offer cannot be withdrawn after it has been accepted?
Contract variation
Contract variationThis Practice Note summarises the law, guidance and practice relating to the variation of contracts and deeds. It explains how a...
Electronic signatures
Electronic signaturesAn electronic signature is the electronic equivalent of a handwritten signature and links a person to the contents of an...
Associated legal terms
Crown Dependency
The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not part of the United Kingdom, but the UK government is internationally responsible for their external affairs and they are known as Crown Dependencies. The Islands are also not colonies, but form part of the British Islands (being the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands). In respect of the Channel Islands, the Crown acts through Her Majesty's Privy Council, on the recommendation of ministers of the United Kingdom government in their capacity as Privy Councillors. In respect of the Isle of Man, the Crown acts through Her Majesty's Privy Council, on the recommendation of ministers of the United Kingdom government in their capacity as Privy Councillors.
Justification
A defence used in defamation claims that a defamatory statement is 'substantially' true — the 'sting' of the allegation must be proven, and minor factual errors will not necessarily deprive the defendant of the defence but to be successful, the statement’s factual content must be proven true as well as the interpretation which may be understood of it, and any supporting innuendo.
Partnership
A partnership (as defined) formed under the Partnership Act 1890 (PA 1890) and governed by English law is the 'relation that subsists between two or more persons carrying on business in common with a view of profit' and is also referred to as a ‘firm’.
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