Why Contracts Get Stuck: Uncovering the Hidden Bottlenecks
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Webinar Recap & Key Takeaways
The “Case of the Slow Contract” brought together Pralika Jain (Hex), Alicja Kwiatkowski (Mirantis), and Jonathan Perkel (Esusu), moderated by Akshay Verma, COO at SpotDraft, to unpack why contracts get stuck and what legal teams can do to move them faster.
The panel explored how contracting delays often stem from people and processes rather than Legal itself, with intake gaps, unclear ownership, repeated negotiations, and internal approvals creating hidden bottlenecks. The speakers also discussed using playbooks, data, AI, and clearer approval structures to improve velocity without compromising risk management.
Overall, the session shared practical strategies for identifying where contracts slow down, focusing negotiations on high-impact issues, and building more streamlined, scalable contracting processes.
Session Highlights:
05:38 Akshay explains why contracting requires people and process first, followed by technology.
06:45 Pralika highlights process gaps and why one-size-fits-all contracting approaches often fail.
12:41 Jonathan discusses how fragmented approvals across teams can create significant contracting delays.
20:26 Alicja explains how negotiation playbooks and predefined fallback positions can improve contract velocity.
25:18 Pralika shares how data and intake processes can reveal where contracting bottlenecks actually occur.
32:39 Alicja recommends focusing negotiations on high-stakes clauses rather than redlining everything.
42:44 Akshay discusses how AI can evolve from an assistant into a more effective contracting partner.
50:59 The panel shares practical levers, including authority matrices and integrated AI-powered contracting workflows, to unblock contracts.
“I think inherently we are risk averse. We just have to flip that switch in our head and say we have to get okay with it. What’s the worst that can happen?”— Pralika Jain, Head of Legal, Hex
Watch the webinar now!
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