Commercial Contracts
Fifteen years negotiating for, and against, some of the world's largest companies.
Contracts That Hold Up When Someone Reads Them Closely
Most contracts are only read properly when something goes wrong: a dispute, a buyer's due diligence, or a board asking what you've actually agreed to. I draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts so that when that moment comes, the terms say what you thought they said.
Every contract is handled by me, from first draft to signature.
When to Bring a Lawyer In
- A deal carries more value, a longer term or more exposure than usual.
- You've been sent the other side's paper, especially an enterprise customer's.
- The number of contracts has outgrown whoever is handling them.
- You're changing how you sell, for example moving to subscriptions or a platform model.
- A counterparty is pushing back on liability, IP or data terms, and you need to know what's normal.
- A funding round or sale is coming, and someone will be reading your contracts closely.
Contracts I Draft, Review and Negotiate
- Master services and framework agreements
- Service level agreements
- Sale and supply of goods agreements, including equipment sale and maintenance
- Standard terms and conditions
- SaaS agreements, software licences, subscription and platform agreements
- Supplier and outsourcing agreements
- Agency and distribution agreements
- Freelancer, contractor and influencer agreements
- Marketing, branding and sponsorship agreements
- Design agreements
- Data processing agreements
- Website terms, privacy policies and cookie policies
- Non-disclosure agreements, see IP, technology and confidentiality
- AI vendor and procurement agreements, see AI governance
What I Look For
Bad terms rarely cause problems straight away. They build up quietly and tend to surface at the worst moment, usually due diligence on a raise or a sale. These are the clauses I check first.
Liability.
Whether it's capped, at what level, and what's carved out of the cap.
IP.
Who owns what gets created, and what you're licensing compared with what you're giving away.
Renewal and termination.
Automatic renewals, notice periods, and how you get out.
Payment.
Payment terms, price changes, and what happens when invoices go unpaid.
Data.
Who is responsible for personal data, and what happens if there's a breach.
Indemnities.
Who is covering which risks, and whether that cover is realistic.
Disputes.
Governing law, jurisdiction, and how a disagreement gets escalated before it becomes a claim.
Three Ways to Work Together
A Single Contract
Scoped and priced upfront. This is how most CHORD relationships begin.
Ongoing Contract Support
Part of a fractional General Counsel retainer, with contracts handled as they come in.
A Contracting Set-Up That Scales
Templates, a negotiation playbook and clear sign-off rules, so your team can close routine deals without waiting for legal.
Templates and Training
I keep a bank of tested templates that can be tailored to your business, so you're not paying for a first draft from scratch.
I also run practical contract training for the people who handle contracts day to day: the common pitfalls, when to escalate, and how to get deals over the line without creating risk.
What Clients Say
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a contract review cost?
It depends on the length and complexity of the contract and how much negotiation is likely. You'll get a fixed fee before any work starts, so there are no surprises.
How quickly can you turn a contract around?
Timescales are agreed when the work is scoped. If there's a hard deadline, tell me at the start and the work will be planned around it.
Can you negotiate directly with the other side?
Yes. I can negotiate alongside you or on your behalf, with the other side's commercial team or their lawyers.
Should we use our own contract template or theirs?
Your own wherever you can, because the first draft sets the terms of the negotiation. Where a larger customer insists on its paper, the job is knowing which of their terms matter and which to accept.
What if a dispute has already started?
I can advise on a contract dispute and work to resolve it before court proceedings are issued. If it goes to litigation, I'll recommend a specialist firm.
Got a Contract That Needs a Second Pair of Eyes?
Based in Warwickshire, working with clients nationally.
Call: +44 7783 534486 · Email: cam@chord.legal · Connect on LinkedIn →
“CHORD” and “Chord Legal” are trading names of CHORD Legal Limited, registered in England and Wales, company number 14820174. Registered office: 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX. Cam Gow is a solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”) (SRA ID 453794). CHORD Legal Limited is not authorised or regulated by the SRA. This is a structure the SRA's rules expressly permit.
© 2026 CHORD Legal Limited. All rights reserved.