Transactional resources are relevant for business-related issues such as business formation, mergers and acquisitions, sales, and contract formation. Beyond traditionally thought of transactional resources - suggested language for contracts, statutes and regulations related to business formations, etc. - resources like 50 State Surveys or Bloomberg Law Chart Builders discussed in other sections of this LibGuide may be extraordinarily useful in a transactional practice as well. This page provides a basic overview of resources useful in transactional research, and is intended to introduce you to the types of resources available to help you get started when faced with researching transactionally related issues. This resource is NOT comprehensive is intended to aid you in beginning your research by offering suggested resources to consult and you may find in those resources. Do not hesitate to contact me (Sandy Placzek, splaczek2@unl.edu) or to use the lawref@unl.edu email if you have reference questions that I or any of the other Schmid Law Librarians can help you with, even if they are work related. We are always happy to try to help and you will NOT be bothering us.
Treatises are excellent resources to consult when working on transactional issues. Many are geared to practitioners and as result, they: (1) discuss the nuances of practice in the area; (2) provide relevant information in a succinct fashion; (3) suggest other transactional-related resources; (4) frequently provided citations or the text of relevant primary law; and (5) often provided forms or language to assist in the creation of documents. In addition, many provide other helpful information such as 50 state surveys, tables of cases, and suggested contract language.
Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, and PLI Plus provide access to a variety of treatises. In addition, the Schmid Law Library has a number of titles in print. Bruner and O'Connor on Construction Law (KF902 .B78 2002-) is an excellent example of a useful transactional treatise; it is available in print in the Schmid Law Library and electronically on Westlaw Precision. Why might you want to consult a treatise? Look at the brief list of "highlights" of the types of information you can find in this treatise:
"Legal Form Books" provide sample language and guidance on how to structure documents. On a state level, many Continuing Legal Education (CLE) materials include sample forms (see Box below: "Bar Association Resources" for some examples), and many state agency websites also include forms.
In Nebraska, as in other states, certain code sections provide detailed instructions on what types of information should be included when drafting a variety of transactional documents. Some examples from Nebraska Revised Statutes sections:
Where can you find forms in our law library or from Nebraska State Agencies?
On the Federal level, the EDGAR (electronic data gathering, analysis, and retrieval system) database compiles information about company operations and financial forms filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). EDGAR can be accessed through:
Consult individual Secretary of State websites on the state level for similar business related information:
Bar Associations frequently provide useful transactional resources. Some Nebraska specific examples include:
A brief, catchall category - includes resources such as:
Lexology - a service providing "tailored updates and analysis to the desktops of business professionals worldwide on a daily basis." Create email newsfeed geared specifically to your individual interests; over 450 articles daily, from over 900 leading law firms.
The Transactional Lawyer. Previously published by the Center for Law, Ethics & Commerce at Gonzaga School of Law and now distributed by the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers, Inc. (ACCFL), The Transactional Lawyer is a bi-monthly, electronic newsletter offering "advice to lawyers on how to structure and document commercial transactions. It additionally reports on recent developments that may impact transactional practice." Review past issues at https://www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-law/clinic-centers/center-for-law-ethics-commerce/links-resources. To be added (free of charge) to the distribution list for The Transactional Lawyer, send an email message to:
wendy@managementservices.org.
Each of these databases have a wealth of useful resources to assist you in researching transactional issues; highlights of each are provided below. Lexis+ & Westlaw Precision require individual logons ; please review the first page of this LibGuide for information regarding use of your school accounts over the summer. Bloomberg Law and PLI Plus can be accessed via the Schmid Law Library A to Z list.
Bloomberg Law
Bloomberg Law has a wealth of transactional resources and is perhaps the most comprehensive database for transactional research and practice. Logging on provides access a number of different ways: use the center tool bar to access Practice Centers (links to specific centers such as Corporate or Securities), Transactional (links to the Transactional Intelligence Center, EDGAR Search and other specific transactional resources), Business (links to the Business Intelligence Center and other business related areas), or Practitioner Tools (which includes quick access to Chart Builders and other tools). Alternatively, the Popular Links box offers quick access to targeted resources/information. All access points lead to a number of transactional resources including:
Highlights of the centers listed above include:
Lexis+
One of the best ways to access transactional resources through Lexis+ is Practical Guidance. Once you've logged on and proceeded to the main Lexis+ screen, on the left side of the page select the Practical Guidance icon. Once there, access information via practice area. Each practice area breaks done relevant issues/areas in the larger practice area and provides resources such as practice notes, checklists, and templates.
The Tools & Resources box on the right provides access to tools such as State Law Comparison Tool, Automated Templates, and Resource Kits. In addition to familiar resources (e.g., cases, statutes, secondary sources), a variety of transactional related resources are available depending on the practice area.
Other useful resources and access points on Lexis+ from the initial search page include (the "Legal Research" icon:
PLI Plus
PLI Plus has a strong transactional focus, and the resources in this database are very practically oriented. Researchers will find:
Westlaw Precision (Thomson Reuters)
Practical Law. Once logged on to Westlaw Precision, instead of selecting Westlaw Precision on the drop down, select Practical Law. Select different "tabs" to access resources depending on what you are looking for. Explore each of the "tabs" to get a better sense of the organization and the types of information available. In particular, note some of the types of resources under the Resources Types "tab":
Instead of selecting Westlaw Precision or Practical Law once you've logged on, some other useful transactional related resources available to investigate - easily understood by the database names: