Most contract disputes we litigate were decided years earlier, in five clauses nobody negotiated. None of them are exotic. All of them are skipped.

Indemnification. This clause decides who pays when a third party sues. Read it as an insurance policy, because that is what it is — and confirm your actual insurance matches what you just promised.

Assignment. If your counterparty is acquired, do you wake up doing business with their acquirer? An assignment clause with a consent requirement keeps that decision yours.

Notice. Deadlines run from notice, and notice provisions specify method and address with more precision than anyone remembers. A claim delivered by email when the contract requires certified mail is a claim that was never made.

Dispute resolution and auto-renewal round out the list — the first decides where you fight, the second decides how long you keep paying. Have counsel read all five before signing, not after.