Contract Law & UCC

Contract law in Michigan had not seen many major changes over the years. However, the recent past has provided a number of significant cases that have changed the common understanding about some aspects of contract law in the state. We have also seen the increasing importance of international contracts.

The four articles appearing in this theme issue address a variety of topics related to contract law and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). In his article “MSSC v. AirBoss: Clarifications, Change, and the Next Questions,” Jason Killips reviews the recent Michigan Supreme Court ruling in the case that addressed the enforceability of open or blanket purchase orders. In a similar vein, Daniel Quick and Gerard Mantese provide an overview of recent decisions issued by circuit courts and the Michigan Court of Appeals in “Contracts: A Recent Survey of Case Law.” Another feature — “International Contracts: Practical Drafting Considerations” by Richard Walawender — touches on some of the issues lawyers must address and not take for granted when drafting and negotiating international contracts. And finally, Christopher Falkowski discusses how both emojis and emoticons can constitute electronic signatures under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act and Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act.

As representatives of the SBM Business Law Section and its Uniform Commercial Code Committee, we hope Bar Journal readers find these articles informative and helpful. The section often addresses topics like these and many others. We invite all attorneys to become section members or attend one of our upcoming events. Find us at connect.michbar.org/businesslaw.