Commercial Expectations and Cooperation in Symbiotic Contracts

Dr C. Haward Soper (Haward) is an Honorary Associate Professor of Law at the University of Leicester.

Acknowledgement

Table of Cases

Table of Figures

Table of Tables

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 Justifying Contract Law

1.2 What is a Symbiotic Contract?

1.3 Chapter Structure

1.3.1 Chapter 2 -Duty to Cooperate – Case Law and Comment

1.3.2 Chapter 3 Empirical Research Results

1.3.3 Chapter 4 The Source and Justification of the Duty to Cooperate

1.3.4 Chapter 5 The Duty to Cooperate

1.3.5 Chapter 6 Remedies, Antidotes, and Enforcement Mechanisms

1.3.6 Chapter 7 A Few Hard Cases

1.4 Summary

Chapter 2 Duty to Cooperate – Case Law and Comment

2.1 Basic Principle and Overview of Case-Law

2.2 Prevention of performance

2.3 Reasonable Endeavours, Diligence/Facilitation

2.4 Defects and Rights to Cure

2.5 Communication or constructive engagement

2.6 Active Cooperation/Accepting Reasonable Solutions

2.7 Control of Contractual Decision Making

2.7.1 General Principles

2.7.2 Decisions to Exercise Absolute Contractual Rights

2.7.3 Commercial Contracts

2.7.4 Construction Contracts

2.7.5 Taking the Interests of the other Party into account

2.7.6 How to Make a Decision

2.7.7 Conclusion

2.7.8 Appendix A to Chapter 2.7 – typical contract decision making powers

2.8 The Apparatus of Contract Interpretation

2.9 Conclusion

Chapter 3 Empirical Research- Survey and Results

3.1 Methods and Results

3.1.1 Respondent Sample and Demographics

3.1.2 Survey and Interview Design

3.1.3 Survey - General Results

3.2 Open questions – Enjoyment and Success

3.3 The Vignettes/Case Studies

3.3.1 Vignette 1 – The Power and the Story

3.3.2 Vignette 2 – Decide or Concur?

3.3.3 Vignette 3 – An Offer he can’t Refuse?

3.3.4 Vignette 4 – Is It About the Ketchup?

3.4 Themes from the Vignettes

3.4.1 Governance Questions

3.4.2 Negotiation Questions

3.4.3 Punitive Measures

3.4.4 Termination

3.4.5 Fast Track Dispute Resolution Measures

3.4.6 Self-help Remedies

3.5 Cooperation Themes

3.5.1 How Important is Cooperation in the Management of Contracts?

3.5.2 What does Cooperation Mean?

3.5.3 Which Contract Terms Promote Cooperation?

3.5.4 How is Cooperation Achieved?

3.6 Conclusions from this Empirical Evidence

3.6.1 Cooperation is Important

3.6.2 What Cooperation Means

Chapter 4 The Source, Justification and Application of the Duty to Cooperate

4.1 Theoretical Perspectives on Commercial Expectations

4.1.1 The Change in Commercial Reality and Commercial Practice

4.1.2 Meaning of Commercial Expectations

4.1.3 Why These Expectations should be given Legal Force

4.2 The Source of the Duty - Commercial Expectations – Polyfilla, Penumbra or Polysemia? Giving it Some Ayr

4.2.1 Evidence of Market Practice

4.2.2 Custom

4.2.3 The Parties’ History - Overview

4.2.4 The Parties’ History – Prior Dealings

4.2.5 The Parties’ History – Negotiations

4.2.6 The Parties’ History –Subsequent Conduct

4.2.7 Surveys

4.2.8 The Commercial Judge

4.3 Conclusion

Chapter 5 The third way – how it is different

5.1 The Third Way

5.2 Definitions of cooperation

5.2.1 Good Faith in Civil Law

5.2.2 Full-Blooded Relational Scholarship

5.2.3 Other Academic Constructs – Mainstream Obligations Scholars and Hybrid or Para-Relationists

5.2.4 Law and economics definitions

5.2.5 Trust Based Definitions

5.2.6 Managerial Thoughts

5.2.7 Tit-for-tat ≠ cooperation

5.3 Conclusion

Chapter 6 Remedies, Antidotes, and Enforcement Mechanisms

6.1 Remedies for Prevention

6.2 Wrotham Park/Negotiating Damages

6.3 Damages for Failure or Refusal to Negotiate

6.4 Statutory Adjudication

6.5 Limiting the Right to Determine

6.6 Cost Penalties

Chapter 7 A Few Hard Cases

7.1 Medirest

7.2 Portsmouth City Council v Ensign Highways

7.3 The Post Office Litigation

7.4 Yam Seng Pte Ltd v International Trade Corporation Ltd (Yam Seng)

7.5 Bristol Groundschool Ltd v Intelligent Data Capture Ltd

7.6 Communication cases – Mona Oil, AE Lindsay, and Peter Dumenil

7.7 J& H Ritchie Ltd v Lloyd Ltd

7.8 D&G Cars Ltd v Essex Police Authority

7.9 Decision Making Powers – Nash and Lymington

7.10 Day to Day Management – the Mundane and the More Mundane

7.11 Walter Lilly & Co Ltd v Giles Patrick Cyril Mackay and DMW Developments Limited

7.12 General Thoughts on the Cases

Chapter 8 Concluding Thoughts and Suggestion for Reform

Bibliography

Index