Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%
Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.
'Best Efforts' Clauses In Commercial Leases
In the wake of the global pandemic which caused widespread unforeseen business interruption, "best efforts" clauses in commercial leases have come under scrutiny. While these clauses are often heavily negotiated, they inherently require a degree of interpretation because they speak to the uncertainty of a party's future performance, which is constrained by variables outside of both parties' control. For example, a restaurant lease may obligate the tenant to use "commercially reasonable efforts" to increase gross sales if they fall below a threshold, where the landlord is receiving a percentage of those revenues; or the restaurant tenant may be required to use "best efforts" to obtain a liquor license by a date certain as a condition for receiving the benefit of rent forgiveness prior to opening.
Undefined terms of art such as "best efforts" are often utilized in commercial leases, but the interpretation of those terms and the enforceability of the clause, when left to the courts, will turn on how the lease is drafted. This article discusses how New York courts interpret and enforce these "efforts" clauses.
Hierarchy of Terms
Three terms of art are most commonly used to qualify a party's "effort" to perform under a lease: "best efforts," "reasonable efforts," and "commercially reasonable efforts." However, New York courts have not interpreted these terms in a rigid or uniform manner, nor have they placed the terms into any sort of hierarchy based on the extent of effort.
This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only
ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN ENTERTAINMENT LAW.
- Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
- Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
- Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts
Already a have an account? Sign In Now Log In Now
For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
Legal Possession: What Does It Mean?
Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not "possession," possession is "the fact of having or holding property in one's power." That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.
The Anti-Assignment Override Provisions
UCC Sections 9406(d) and 9408(a) are one of the most powerful, yet least understood, sections of the Uniform Commercial Code. On their face, they appear to override anti-assignment provisions in agreements that would limit the grant of a security interest. But do these sections really work?