Side letter (contract law)

A side letter or side agreement or side letter arrangement is an agreement that is not part of the underlying or primary contract or agreement, and which some or all parties to the contract use to reach agreement on issues the primary contract does not cover or that need clarification, or to amend the primary contract.[1] Under the law of contracts, a side letter has the same force as the underlying or primary contract. However, the validity of side letters has been denied by some courts in specific circumstances.[2] Side letters are often used in financial or property transactions, or other commercial contracts. They are usually in the form of a letter signed by parties signatory to the primary contract but can also be an oral agreement. As part of a business organization's governance strategy, side letters should be under similar controls to any other contractual agreement, as they can have significant financial or operational impact, or expose the organization to risks of many types.[3]

Side letters are often used in private fund contracts as well. Often a particular investor will want to vary the terms of the limited partnership agreement with respect to that particular investor. An investor might be seeking more favourable terms under the contract or might need the side letter to enter the venture under terms to meet regulatory requirements.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Swede, David (19 March 2013). "Side Letters: What Are They and When Are They Suitable?". Darlingtons Solicitors LLP. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  2. ↑ Ughetta, Ted; Hamilton, Harriett (10 February 2017). "A New Year's Wish: May All Your Side Letters Be Enforceable". Nixon Peabody. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "Has Your Company Used Side Letter Arrangements?". MHM. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  4. ↑ Davie, Alexander J. (29 November 2017). "Using Side Letters in Private Funds". Strictly Business. Retrieved 14 September 2018.


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