How Do You Respond To An Initial Draft Of A Document?

Print

Today, we’ll put the conclusion right up front – there isn’t any one way to do it. Now, you’ll have to read on to learn what “it” might be. And, if you want to skip all of that, take a quick look at the end of today’s blog posting to get an update on something we wrote about a few weeks ago.

We’ve been thinking about the best way to respond to someone’s initial draft of an agreement. It could be a lease or a loan agreement or a settlement agreement or any other kind of “involved” document. How does one decide whether to do a comprehensive redraft and send it back before even making contact with the preparer? What about interlineating short narrative comments and questions inside that initial draft and flinging it back over the transom? Or, how about the phone call to point out significant points of disagreement? What about preparing a narrative, written response? How do you like the idea of preparing an elaborate matrix with a column showing the challenged provision alongside columns showing each side’s position? Then, there is always the drip, drip, drip approach of cryptic email messages objecting to one point after another without asking for anything specific in their places? [Read more…]

Print

The Accountants Are Coming; The Accountants Are Coming: New Lease Accounting Standards Are Upon Us

Print

Today, we return from ranting (last week) to “wonky.” And, we do that despite knowing that only a small number of readers really need to know about lease accounting. We do it because a large number of our readers, though not needing to know, like and want to know a little something about the topic.

Today’s impetus is because the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) just (January 13) issued its latest standard: IFRS 16, Leases. This is the culmination of a decade-long project, sidetracked by many, many issues, comments, and objections. Now, astute readers would rightly say: “Why do I care about the IASB. Here in the good ole’ USA, we abide by standards promulgated by FASB, the Financial Accounting Standards Board.” Well, that one is easy. IASB and FASB worked arm in arm on this standard and FASB’s version, expected to be published in February, will call for the very same things as this one.

There’s no need to spill your coffee or skip that bathroom break to read today’s posting. This lease accounting standard (and the expected FASB standard) becomes effective after 2018.

Here’s another important point. The FASB standards (being the ones that will be incorporated into GAAP – Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) will not be identical to the ones issued by the IASB last week. BUT, they will be pretty close. The two standards follow the same principles and share the same objectives. [Read more…]

Print