Why research partnerships need meddling lawyers

The timely involvement of a contracts manager can protect—rather than jeopardise—professional relationships

I’m fortunate enough to have been able to buy a house recently with my partner. It was a very old house and not a straightforward purchase, but luckily we had a solicitor who specialised in this type of transaction and knew which questions to ask.

I was wary of damaging a friendly relationship with the estate agent managing the sale, so it was a relief that our solicitor could step in to write the occasional assertive email when the agent would start to put on pressure that we be less diligent on certain matters. I knew the diligence was important, but at the same time I was full of fear that the whole deal might fall apart if I upset the agent or the sellers somehow.