A material breach occurs when a party fails to fulfill a significant obligation outlined in a contract, resulting in substantial harm to the other party. A material breach refers to a substantial failure to perform a crucial obligation specified in a contract. It goes beyond minor or inconsequential deviations and significantly impacts the core purpose of the agreement. When a material breach occurs, the non-breaching party may be entitled to various remedies, including contract termination, damages, or specific performance.

Key Elements to Consider in a Material Breach Clause:

1. Definition of Material Breach: Clearly specifying what actions, inactions, or failures constitute a material breach, such as non-payment, failure to deliver goods/services, or violation of confidentiality obligations.
2. Materiality Threshold: Establishing objective criteria or standards to determine when a breach is deemed "material" or significant enough to trigger remedies.
3. Notice and Cure Period: Outlining the procedure for notifying the breaching party and providing a reasonable opportunity to cure or remedy the breach before escalating to termination or other remedies.
4. Remedies and Consequences: Detailing the remedies available to the non-breaching party, such as termination rights, monetary damages, specific performance, or equitable relief.
5. Dispute Resolution: Including mechanisms for resolving disputes related to alleged material breaches, such as negotiation, mediation, or arbitration.

Material Breach Clauses are crucial for contracts involving significant obligations, risks, or potential losses. Examples:

• Software Licensing Agreement: "If either party materially breaches any term of this Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice, the non-breaching party may terminate this Agreement immediately upon further written notice and seek damages, including reasonable attorneys' fees and costs."
• Employment Agreement: "Employee's material breach of any provision of this Agreement, including but not limited to the non-competition, non-solicitation, or confidentiality provisions, shall constitute grounds for immediate termination of employment for cause by the Employer, without further compensation or notice. Employer may also seek injunctive relief and monetary damages for any such material breach."
• Distribution Agreement: "In the event of a material breach of this Agreement by either party, the non-breaching party shall provide written notice specifying the nature of the breach. If the breaching party fails to cure the material breach within sixty (60) days after receipt of such notice, the non-breaching party may, at its option, terminate this Agreement without further liability or seek specific performance and any other remedies available at law or in equity."

When reviewing a Material Breach Clause, a contract drafter should be aware of:

• Clear Breach Definitions: Ensuring that the clause clearly and objectively defines what constitutes a material breach, avoiding ambiguity or subjective interpretations.
• Proportionality of Remedies: Evaluating whether the specified remedies are reasonable and proportionate to the potential breaches, and aligning with the parties' intentions and industry practices.
• Notice and Cure Periods: Assessing the adequacy of notice requirements and cure periods to allow for potential remediation before escalating to termination or severe consequences.
• Interaction with Other Clauses: Analyzing how the Material Breach Clause interacts with other provisions, such as limitation of liability, indemnification, or termination clauses.
• Enforceability and Governing Law: Ensuring that the remedies and procedures outlined in the clause are legally enforceable under the governing law and jurisdiction.

By carefully drafting and reviewing Material Breach Clauses, corporate lawyers can effectively manage risks, protect their clients' interests, and provide a clear framework for addressing and resolving significant contractual breaches.

Want to manage clauses like these effectively?
Check out Clause Library from ContractKen. It has 700+ commercial contracting clauses, with 3-4 examples for each clause available out of the box. The web interface allows easy curation, management, tagging, and commenting of clauses. Each clause example is enriched with attributes like #Times Used, Jurisdiction, Type of Contract, Party Favored, etc. And this clause library is fully accessible inside Microsoft Word, via ContractKen Word Copilot while you are reviewing or drafting contracts!

Trying to figure out how to build such a clause library from your contract repository?
ContractKen’s best-in-class contract AI can assist you to build it within days, not weeks! Get in touch to take your contract drafting to the next level!