The ‘Force Majeure’ Clause: How One Phrase Saved (Or Sank) Businesses During Covid-19

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic caused unparalleled disruptions among all sectors—from manufacturing, to hospitality, to logistics, to entertainment. At the centre of countless contractual disputes created by the disruption of the pandemic was a three-word term: force majeure. Very simply, in general terms, that means "superior force." In short, the term "force majeure" was the issue that whether a company could legally stop perform its obligations under a contract. Force majeure is often...