Legal Chain Contract Risk Index ranks eight US industries by average contract risk. Technology scores highest at 68, driven by SaaS vendor agreements and IP assignment complexity. Construction scores lowest at 49, protected by state statutory frameworks. Healthcare carries the highest regulatory overlay. Nonprofits face the most concentrated grant agreement risk.
The Legal Chain Contract Risk Index sets the average vendor agreement score at 71 — the highest of any contract type. SaaS agreements average 74. Five provisions drive the score: liability caps, unilateral modification, one-sided indemnification, auto-renewal, and vendor-favorable governing law. Four negotiations bring it down before signing.
The Legal Chain Contract Risk Index sets the average NDA risk score at 52 out of 100. California averages 67. Massachusetts averages 38. Three provision failures drive the national score: overbroad definitions, unlimited duration, and missing injunctive relief. Upload your NDA to see where it stands.
Legal Chain's 2026 Contract Risk Benchmark scores five contract types across six US industry sectors and all 50 states. Vendor and SaaS agreements score highest at 71. Employment agreements score 64. Technology companies carry the highest sector risk. California produces the most complex employment agreement exposure of any state.
Legal Chain analyzed startup contracts from pre-seed through Series A to rank the eight most common mistakes by cost and due diligence stage. Missing IP assignments. No vesting schedule. Unsigned contractor agreements. Each one appears regularly. Each one is preventable in under five minutes before signing.
Legal Chain analyzed mutual, unilateral, and employee NDAs across all 50 US states to rank the seven most dangerous provisions by enforceability risk and frequency. Overly broad definitions. Unlimited duration. Missing injunctive relief. Each one appears regularly in NDAs signed without legal review. Each one has documented consequences.
