Commercial Contract Lawyers in Johannesburg
A commercial contract should explain what each party must do and what happens if the arrangement changes or fails. Hugh Raichlin Attorneys assists Johannesburg businesses with drafting, review, negotiation and disputes about business agreements.
The initial telephone discussion is free and helps us understand whether the firm can assist. A paid consultation is arranged where appropriate. We aim to respond within one working day after receiving your enquiry.
Principal Attorney & Accredited Mediator
Commercial drafting and litigation experience that informs how agreements operate and where they fail.
This page is for you if…
- You need an agreement for a new commercial arrangement.
- A counterparty has sent terms that require independent review.
- Existing templates no longer fit the business.
- A breach or termination issue has arisen under a contract.
How Hugh Raichlin Attorneys can help
A useful contract review checks what each party must do, what happens if the arrangement changes or fails, and whether the terms reflect how the business actually operates. It looks at authority, performance, payment, risk, change and exit, and the way disputes are resolved, rather than only the price.
| Term | Question to check |
|---|---|
| Authority | Who is the contracting party, who may sign, and which documents are incorporated? |
| Scope & performance | What are the deliverables, acceptance, milestones and standards? |
| Price & payment | What triggers payment, when, and what security applies? |
| Risk | What are the liability, indemnity and cap provisions, read together? |
| Change & exit | How are variation, termination and transition handled? |
| Disputes | What resolution mechanism, forum and cost allocation apply? |
Supply, service, distribution, non-disclosure (NDA), service-level (SLA), shareholder and terms-of-trade arrangements may require different terms. A template or a particular signature method does not ensure validity in every case.
Draft for the transaction
We identify the commercial objective, parties, performance obligations and material risks. Supply, service, distribution, partnership, shareholder and sale arrangements may require different terms.
Review and negotiate
We can explain difficult provisions, identify missing protections and negotiate workable changes. Liability, indemnities, security, confidentiality and dispute clauses should be considered together.
Address breach and exit
We assess notices, remedies, variations and termination provisions. Clear drafting can reduce disputes, but no contract can guarantee that a counterparty will perform or pay.
What to consider before deciding
Templates need context
A generic agreement may use the wrong legal structure, leave important schedules incomplete or conflict with the actual operating model. The cheapest document is not necessarily the simplest agreement to manage.
Confirm authority and implementation
Check the identity of the contracting party, who may sign and which documents are incorporated. The business should be able to comply with the obligations it accepts.
Prioritise the provisions that matter
Payment triggers, acceptance, scope changes, ownership, termination and dispute handling often deserve close attention. Not every clause should be negotiated with equal intensity.
What a thorough agreement review considers
Scope
Deliverables, obligations and the parties bound.
Price & payment
Payment triggers, timing and security.
Performance
Acceptance, milestones and standards.
Risk
Liability, indemnities and caps.
Change & exit
Variation, termination and transition.
Disputes
Resolution mechanism, forum and costs.
These provisions should be considered together. Labels are a review guide, not a substitute for tailored drafting.
The next steps
- 1Provide the proposed arrangement or existing draft.
- 2Identify commercial objectives, non-negotiables and legal risks.
- 3Prepare, review or negotiate the agreement.
- 4Confirm signing, implementation and future variation arrangements.
Information to prepare
A brief enquiry is enough to start. Keep the relevant information below available for the consultation where possible. Send sensitive documents only when the firm requests them through an appropriate channel.
- The current draft, prior versions and any term sheet.
- Schedules, related contracts and prior correspondence.
- The parties and their authority to enter the agreement.
- The commercial scope and intended deliverables.
- Payment arrangements and the issues you want clarified.
Common mistakes to avoid
Avoid signing incomplete schedules, confusing a trading name with a legal entity, accepting obligations the business cannot meet or relying on informal variations without checking the contract.
Relevant experience for your matter
Hugh and Jessica's commercial and litigation experience supports practical drafting informed by how disputes arise. Kelly Girnun also forms part of HRA's commercial-law offering; enquiries are routed by the firm.
Hugh Raichlin
Principal Attorney & Accredited Mediator
BA, LLB · University of the Witwatersrand
Commercial drafting and litigation experience that informs how agreements operate and where they fail.
View Hugh's profile
Jessica El-Hage
Attorney
LLB · University of Johannesburg
Commercial and civil litigation experience relevant to contract review and enforcement.
View Jessica's profileFrequently asked questions
Can you review an agreement drafted by the other party?
Yes. We can explain the obligations, risks and proposed changes before signature.
Do you offer a standard contract price online?
No universal price is published. Complexity, length, negotiation and urgency affect the scope and fee.
Can a signed agreement be changed?
Potentially, but the contract and applicable law must be considered. Obtain advice before assuming an informal change is effective.
Can you help when the other party breaches?
Yes. We assess the agreement, facts, notices and appropriate remedies or resolution process.
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Useful sources
- Companies Act 71 of 2008The full legal text covering how companies are run and who can act for them when entering business agreements.
Get an agreement that works for the transaction.
Tell us the arrangement, the parties and the risks you are concerned about. We will identify the drafting or review work needed.
How to get started
- 1
Send a brief enquiry, or start an AI-assisted WhatsApp enquiry at any time.
- 2
The initial telephone discussion is free and helps the firm assess whether it can assist. Where the firm may be able to help, an attorney ordinarily follows up within one working day after receipt.
- 3
Where appropriate, a paid consultation is arranged. Its scope and fees are confirmed separately; consultations are usually in person, with remote arrangements considered where suitable.
WhatsApp AI gathers initial information; it does not provide legal advice. An enquiry does not confirm an appointment, acceptance of a matter or action on a deadline.