The Under-the-Radar Personal Guarantee

By Eliot Wagonheim, Co-Founder, First Rule Contract Manager. Published October 7, 2026.

A contract opened: XYZ Development Corporation ("Owner") hereby engages John Smith and DEF Contracting Corporation (collectively "Contractor"). Because the definition of "Contractor" included the company's president, every obligation and liability in the contract, including indemnification and liquidated damages, could be claimed against him personally.

The question isn't whether your team would sign that. It's whether your team would catch it.