Master Service Agreements (“MSA”) are contracts that control the general terms of the legal relationship in the business to business context. Typically, businesses with multi-year relationships attach Statements of Work (“SOW”) to an MSA to outline the individual terms of a business deal. The MSA contains provisions that are often seen but the implications of each obligation in a long-term relationship may not be well understood. It’s best to review these obligations -- confidentiality, intellectual property rights, non-compete, and non-solicit clauses, deliverables, warranties, support, indemnification, limitation of liability, insurance, privacy obligations, and termination rights -- before negotiations start.
Learning Objectives:
Gain a general understanding of each of the common legal obligations
Evaluate the common legal obligations from the seller’s viewpoint
Analyze the common legal obligations from the buyer’s viewpoint
Review clauses with a middle-ground position
Successful, profitable businesses share certain characteristics: immediately recognizable brands, desirable products or services, and a strategic plan which minimizes legal risks. As co-chair of the Intellectual Property Group at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin, Amy B. Goldsmith partners with clients to provide practical legal advice and connections to grow their businesses. A strategic advisor, she guides clients in all stages of their development from idea conception and protection, to funding, manufacturing and enforcement. Copyrights and patents are an important part of a company’s strategy, and understanding when protection is likely (or not) to be granted is critical in the design process.
Concise and accurate presentation.
useful primer for those not familiar with MSAs. If you have worked through a dozen or more MSAs, you'll already be familiar with the issues spotted by this presentation.
Thorough and helpful.
Very informative. Very detailed program materials.
Very basic course
I thought this course was very well taught and I appreciated the instructor going through the different topics contained within MSAs, language, and different situations that may arise.
v good overview, and she did a nice job highlighting the IP provisions which are quite important for my work in this area.
Very practical and useful content.
It was good content but presented very dull.