Skip to content
BIZENIUS.

Drafting & Negotiating Commercial Contracts

Every ambiguous clause is a dispute on layaway — good drafting is cheap insurance written in advance.

The programme

Most commercial disputes trace back to a sentence someone thought was clear. This programme trains non-lawyers and junior lawyers alike to draft and negotiate agreements that perform: plain-language drafting principles that remove ambiguity without removing precision; the working anatomy of a commercial contract — obligations, payment, term, liability, indemnities, termination — and what each clause is actually for; risk allocation as a deliberate commercial decision rather than boilerplate inheritance; and negotiation of terms: knowing which clauses to fight for, what to concede, and how positions translate into words that hold.

What you will do

Draft in plain language that is precise, not merely simple
Use each core clause for what it is actually for
Allocate risk deliberately — liability caps, indemnities, force majeure
Negotiate terms: what to fight for, what to concede, how to word it

Who attends

Commercial, procurement and sales professionals who negotiate contracts; project and contract managers; in-house counsel early in their careers; founders signing their own agreements.

Cohorts bring together board members, executives and the rising leaders behind them — kept deliberately small, so every seat is a peer’s.

Programme agenda

Built for the decisions no textbook prepares you for

I.The craft of drafting
  • Plain language with precision: shorter sentences, sharper obligations
  • Shall, will, may and the verbs that create or destroy duties
  • Definitions, schedules and the architecture of a readable contract
II.The clauses that matter
  • Obligations and payment: performance defined so it can be measured
  • Liability, caps and indemnities: the risk clauses read properly
  • Term, termination and what survives the end
III.The negotiation
  • The issues list: fight, trade, concede — decided in advance
  • Mark-ups and counter-drafts that advance rather than antagonise
  • Closing: from agreed positions to signed words that match them

Frequently asked

Do I need to be a lawyer to attend?

No. The programme trains non-lawyers and junior lawyers alike — commercial, procurement and sales professionals, project and contract managers, early-career in-house counsel and founders signing their own agreements. It is professional training in drafting and negotiation, not legal advice on specific contracts.

Which clauses does the course cover?

The working anatomy of a commercial contract — obligations, payment, term, liability, indemnities and termination — with what each clause is actually for. Risk allocation is treated as a deliberate commercial decision: liability caps, indemnities and force majeure read properly rather than inherited as boilerplate.

Does it train negotiation as well as drafting?

Yes — the issues list decided in advance (fight, trade, concede), mark-ups and counter-drafts that advance rather than antagonise, and closing from agreed positions to signed words that match them. Drafting and negotiation are taught as one craft.

In which languages and formats does BIZENIUS run it?

In English and French, on a rolling calendar with dates confirmed on request. In-house, tailored editions are available — often built around a team’s own template agreements — and fees and quotations are provided on enquiry.

Share this programme

LinkedInWhatsAppFacebookEmail

Know the right person for this seat?Nominate a colleague →

In their words

Knowledge transfer, emphasised throughout

“We worked with BIZENIUS for our Fresh Graduates Programme — they are simply amazing. Knowledge transfer and practical learning were emphasised throughout.”

Kuwait Investment Authority

Teams from these institutions train with BIZENIUS

  • Citi
  • Barclays
  • ExxonMobil
  • Total
  • Gazprom
  • Standard Bank
  • QNB
  • Crédit Agricole
  • Nedbank
  • Absa
  • Raiffeisen
  • Halliburton
  • Baker Hughes
  • ConocoPhillips
  • Ooredoo
  • National Bank of Kuwait
  • Kuwait Finance House
  • Bank Muscat
  • Bank Audi
  • SABB
  • Garanti BBVA
  • Ecobank
  • Arab Bank
  • National Bank of Egypt
  • ADIB
  • Access Bank
  • Afreximbank
  • Repsol
  • QNB ALAHLI
  • Stanbic Bank
  • Equity Group Holdings
  • KCB Bank
  • Lombard Odier
  • NOV
  • Weatherford
  • Subsea 7
  • Al Baraka
  • Banque Misr
  • Burgan Bank
  • Bank ABC

BIZENIUS

Speak to an expert

Tell us where you stand — an expert replies within one business day.

Phone *
Area of interest
+ Add a message or details (optional)

We only use your details to respond to your enquiry. See our Privacy Policy.