For thirty years, Legal-Ease International has trained lawyers to read contracts the way a deal actually turns on them. Not […]
Legal-Ease International: Thirty Years Training Lawyers in the Words That Decide Deals Read More »
This is a lesson from my book, Million Dollar Words. “Material” looks harmless. It sits quietly in a contract —
Material: The Word That Decides Whether the Deal Lives or Dies Read More »
On March 8, 2026, for International Women’s Day, ANADE — the Colegio de Abogados, Mexico’s bar association, celebrating 55 years
Dena Falken Featured by ANADE for International Women’s Day Read More »
A contract lists five things. Then comes the word “including.” Then a fight about the sixth thing — the one
Including but Not Limited To: The Little Phrase That Ate the List Read More »
Berkshire Hathaway didn’t change its religion when Greg Abel took the chair. It changed its preacher — and the sermon
The Abel Era Is Compounding Read More »
By Dena Falken Every contract has a pecking order, and one word sits at the top of it: “notwithstanding.” When
“Notwithstanding” — The Word That Overrides the Contract Read More »
“Time is of the essence.” It reads like decoration — five formal words lawyers sprinkle into contracts out of habit.
Five Words That Turn a Deadline Into a Weapon Read More »
By Dena Falken Every cross-border contract I have ever reviewed hides the same landmine: the word “shall.” Writers reach for
‘Shall’ Is Not a Synonym for ‘Must’ Read More »
By Dena Falken Say “without prejudice” in a negotiation and half the room flinches — as if an insult just
‘Without Prejudice’ Does Not Mean What You Think Read More »
By Dena Falken — B.A., American University; J.D., Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. A mediator
Read It Like It’s Yours Read More »