Commercial Contracts 101: Drafting, Negotiating, and Protecting Yourself

Most contract disputes start with a clause nobody read closely before signing.

Small business contracts tend to go wrong in the same places: the wrong party named, vague scope, payment terms with no teeth, uncapped liability and no clear way out. And if you use standard-form terms with customers or suppliers, unfair contract terms can now attract penalties, not just be struck out. Anja Pich, Managing Lawyer at Lawpath, covers how to draft a contract that reflects the deal, which clauses to push back on, and what to check before you sign anything. Plain English, no legalese.

12th November, 2026, 12:00 PM AEDT

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In this session, Anja will cover:

  • Getting the basics right: Naming the correct entity, defining scope and deliverables clearly, and signing properly so the contract binds the people it needs to
  • Payment and termination terms: How to set payment terms you can enforce, and build exit rights for when the relationship or the work goes off track
  • Liability and indemnities: What limitation of liability and indemnity clauses actually do, and the one-sided versions worth pushing back on
  • Negotiating without losing the deal: Which terms are usually worth negotiating, how to propose changes, and when to walk away
  • Unfair contract terms: How the penalty regime applies to standard-form contracts with small businesses and consumers, and how to check your own terms
 

Why Attend?

Know what you’re agreeing to, and what you’re asking others to agree to, before it matters.

Sign with confidence

Walk away with a practical checklist of what to look for before you put your name, or your company’s, on a contract.

Get your GST credit claims audit-ready

Every credit needs the right paperwork behind it. Walk away knowing exactly what the ATO expects to see if it asks.

Make your own terms work harder

Learn how to tighten your standard terms so they protect you, without crossing into terms that could be treated as unfair.

Ask Anja your contract questions live

Bring the agreement you’re about to sign or the terms you’ve been using for years. Anja will work through them in the session.

 

 

Limited seats available, register today!

 

 

 

Note for accountants and lawyers: this session isn't CPD accredited and doesn't count towards your annual points or units.

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