Distribution and agency agreement review checklist

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This English page is prepared together with the Japanese article for readers who prefer English. LegalAgent is an AI Native Law Firm focused on corporate legal work, startup legal support, M&A support and practical legal outsourcing for modern companies.

Overview

This article explains how manufacturers and distributors should review distribution and agency agreements, including territory, exclusivity, sales targets, pricing, IP and termination.

Key points

• The contract should distinguish distributor, sales agent and reseller structures
• Territory, exclusivity and sales targets affect long-term business flexibility
• Pricing, inventory, marketing and customer support should be operationally clear
• Termination and post-termination handling often matter most in practice

Practical perspective

In practice, this topic should be reviewed together with the transaction structure, internal approval flow, counterparty relationship, business priority and risk tolerance. Generative AI can support initial organization, comparison and drafting, but attorneys or the legal team should remain responsible for final legal judgment.