Did My Email Create a Contract? How to Avoid Obligating Your Company By Accident
Duration: 90minutes
Speaker: Benjamin Wright
In a recent contract dispute, a federal court held that a terse exchange of instant messages amended the terms of a paper-written agreement.
Last year a court ruled that orders placed by email were legally effective under a government contract, even though the contract explicitly said email was not allowed. In 2011 a Federal appeals court forced a vendor who had sued a customer to go to arbitration because it had posted arbitration terms on its web site, even though the contract in question did not contain an arbitration clause.
The modern business world is flooded with electronic notices and messages. They are affecting the legal relationships you have with your suppliers, customers and employees. How do you avoid surprises and get the legal terms you want? E-mail, text messages, social media and the World Wide Web have changed how your organization creates and documents terms and contracts. As a consequence, professionals and business managers need to rethink their contract practices.
This webinar will teach you practical lessons on how to use modern technology to avoid mix-ups and expensive disputes. Business records are different from what they once were. Electronic has replaced paper. This webinar will explain best practices for recording electronic contracts and interactions. This webinar will draw upon real-world experience from numerous, diverse enterprises, including private sector, public sector and nonprofits.
The webinar will offer numerous form clauses you can use in your own contracts and to protect your enterprise.
Agenda
- Modern – and sometimes counter-intuitive – cases on electronic agreements and disclaimers
- Interpretation of what law and technology are telling us about business law in the modern age
- Methods to be more assertive with your contract terms (including form clauses)
- How to win the "battle of the forms" (i.e., buyer-seller terms that conflict)
- Terms for thwarting spies, snoops and competitors who prey on your web site or your computer network (including form clause)
- Methods for causing the terms of long-term contracts to evolve toward more of what you want (including form language)
- How to write terms on web and social media pages to manage risk and disclaim liability
- Best practices for making records of electronic transactions
- Practical methods for signing and authenticating e-contracts
- Agreements with employees on policies and terms of employment
- How to implement policy to prevent employees from forming or amending contracts without authority (including form clauses)
Logistics
- 90-minute webinar (Travel-Free) delivered over the phone and Internet.
- Unlimited listeners per connection - bring the entire department.
- Q&A session with the expert.
This event will be presented live by phone together with a PowerPoint presentation to be viewed on your computer. Internet access is not required for phone-only participants. The PowerPoint slides will be provided shortly before the event. Once you register, you will receive an email which is your receipt and which includes your instructions for dialing in and logging on. You will also receive an email reminder 24 hours before the webinar.
What is a webinar?
A webinar is an Internet based seminar. Webinars are a way for participants in many different locations to see and hear a presentation and view PowerPoint slides. You can also have your colleagues attend the webinar using one connection.
What kind of equipment do I need?
You will need a computer with an Internet connection (high speed service such as DSL or cable works best) and a telephone. You may use a headset if that is more comfortable. The headset will also help block out background noise. Internet access is not required for phone-only participants.
How can I share the webinar with my colleagues who may not be able to attend the event?
CDs of each program will be available for sale and can be shared with your business associates.
Can I get a copy of the PowerPoint slides used in the webinar?
The PowerPoint slides will be available on the materials page link in the confirmation email that will be sent to you no later than the morning of the day a webinar is presented.
How do I ask a question during the webinar? Will my question be answered during the presentation?
A question and answer session will be scheduled at the end of each webinar. You can then ask a question by typing it into the question box that will be provided to you duringthe webinar. You may also ask a question through the telephone connection. As many questions as possible will be answered during the Question and Answer period.