Clifford Chance

Coronavirus: Managing your commercial contracts - The French law position

22 April 2020

Whilst companies around the world assess and try to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on their activities in these highly disrupted times, this practical note looks at some specific questions regarding the management of their contractual relationships.

The current situation has significant consequences on all commercial contracts and their performance. In this overview, we focus on French law mechanisms available to companies to (i) manage their contractual risks and liability exposure, (ii) assess the remedies available to them and (iii) prepare for the longer term.

The issues covered in this note are complex and highly fact-dependent. The situations may obviously also differ depending on the nature of the contract and the industry in which the relevant company is operating. In addition, the regulatory and legislative landscapes are constantly and quickly changing, and issues and solutions presented in this note may therefore evolve from one day to the next as new laws and regulations are adopted to deal with Covid-19.

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