A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, Fourth Edition

With A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, Kenneth A. Adams has created a uniquely in-depth survey of the building blocks of contract language. First published in 2004, it offers those who draft, review, negotiate, or interpret contracts an alternative to the dysfunction of traditional contract language and the inertia and flawed conventional wisdom that perpetuate it. This manual has become a vital resource throughout the legal profession, in the United States and internationally.


This is the fourth edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting. It contains almost one hundred pages of new materials addressing many topics, making it even more authoritative and essential.


This manual’s focus remains how to express contract terms in prose that is free of the archaisms, redundancies, ambiguities, and other problems that afflict traditional contract language. With exceptional analysis and an unmatched level of practical detail, Mr. Adams highlights common sources of confusion and recommends clearer and more concise alternatives. This manual is organized to facilitate easy reference, and it illustrates its analysis with numerous examples. Consult it to save time in drafting and negotiation and to reduce the risk of dispute.


Mr. Adams is a consultant, writer, and speaker on contract drafting. Through his company, Adams Contracts Consulting LLC, Mr. Adams helps companies improve their contracts and their contract process. He gives “Drafting Clearer Contracts” seminars internationally, for the public and for companies, law firms, and government agencies. He also acts as an expert in contract disputes. He has taught contract drafting as a member of the adjunct faculty at law schools in the United States. For Mr. Adams’s blog and information on his seminars and his writing, go to adamsdrafting.com. For information on his consulting, go to adamscontracts.com. He can be reached at kadams@adamsdrafting.com.