Writing
One note a day, since the first of January 2025.
Clause teardowns, jurisdiction updates, build logs, and benchmarks. Written by the people doing the work, published the day it is written.
632 published, 98 scheduled
- Build logSep 23 2026
Build log: evaluating retrieval on a corpus nobody has memorised
This one comes up in almost every matter review, and the answer is less settled than the confidence around it suggests.
3 min read
- Jurisdiction updateSep 22 2026
Singapore: consumer contract fairness review
The short version: Singapore: consumer contract fairness review is easier to get wrong than most teams assume, and the failure is usually silent.
5 min read
- Clause teardownSep 21 2026
Clause teardown: liquidated damages
Every review team we work with has a version of this problem. Liquidated damages rarely announces itself.
6 min read
- Long readSep 20 2026
the difference between retrieval and reasoning in practice
We keep coming back to the difference between retrieval and reasoning in practice, because the cost of a miss here compounds across a portfolio.
8 min read
- Field guideSep 19 2026
Field guide: tracing chain of title on assigned IP
We keep coming back to tracing chain of title on assigned IP, because the cost of a miss here compounds across a portfolio.
6 min read
- Practice noteSep 18 2026
Practice note: what to keep out of a first draft
Every review team we work with has a version of this problem. What to keep out of a first draft rarely announces itself.
4 min read
- BenchmarkSep 17 2026
Benchmark: clause classification across 40,000 executed agreements
The short version: clause classification across 40,000 executed agreements is easier to get wrong than most teams assume, and the failure is usually silent.
7 min read
- Build logSep 16 2026
Build log: building a privilege classifier a partner will actually trust
This one comes up in almost every matter review, and the answer is less settled than the confidence around it suggests.
5 min read
- Jurisdiction updateSep 15 2026
the EU: penalty clause doctrine
We keep coming back to the EU: penalty clause doctrine, because the cost of a miss here compounds across a portfolio.
3 min read
- Clause teardownSep 14 2026
Clause teardown: indemnity
Every review team we work with has a version of this problem. Indemnity rarely announces itself.
8 min read
- Long readSep 13 2026
precedent banks and the half-life of a good clause
The short version: precedent banks and the half-life of a good clause is easier to get wrong than most teams assume, and the failure is usually silent.
8 min read
- Field guideSep 12 2026
Field guide: spotting an evergreen clause before it renews
This one comes up in almost every matter review, and the answer is less settled than the confidence around it suggests.
6 min read
- Practice noteSep 11 2026
Practice note: when to escalate a deviation instead of negotiating it
We keep coming back to when to escalate a deviation instead of negotiating it, because the cost of a miss here compounds across a portfolio.
4 min read
- BenchmarkSep 10 2026
Benchmark: obligation extraction on long-form outsourcing contracts
Every review team we work with has a version of this problem. Obligation extraction on long-form outsourcing contracts rarely announces itself.
9 min read
- Build logSep 9 2026
Build log: table extraction when the table spans four pages
This one comes up in almost every matter review, and the answer is less settled than the confidence around it suggests.
4 min read
- Jurisdiction updateSep 8 2026
New South Wales: director duties on insolvency approach
The short version: New South Wales: director duties on insolvency approach is easier to get wrong than most teams assume, and the failure is usually silent.
6 min read
- Clause teardownSep 7 2026
Clause teardown: warranty disclaimers
Every review team we work with has a version of this problem. Warranty disclaimers rarely announces itself.
7 min read
- Long readSep 6 2026
the difference between retrieval and reasoning in practice
We keep coming back to the difference between retrieval and reasoning in practice, because the cost of a miss here compounds across a portfolio.
9 min read
- Field guideSep 5 2026
Field guide: checking a limitation calculation with tolling applied
This one comes up in almost every matter review, and the answer is less settled than the confidence around it suggests.
4 min read
- Practice noteSep 4 2026
Practice note: the notice provision mistakes that void a valid claim
The short version: the notice provision mistakes that void a valid claim is easier to get wrong than most teams assume, and the failure is usually silent.
6 min read
- BenchmarkSep 3 2026
Benchmark: redline generation against a firm playbook
Every review team we work with has a version of this problem. Redline generation against a firm playbook rarely announces itself.
8 min read
- Build logSep 2 2026
Build log: measuring redline quality against a human baseline
We keep coming back to measuring redline quality against a human baseline, because the cost of a miss here compounds across a portfolio.
3 min read
- Jurisdiction updateSep 1 2026
Scotland: arbitration clause separability
This one comes up in almost every matter review, and the answer is less settled than the confidence around it suggests.
5 min read