Tabber Benedict Pushes for Greater Transparency and Plain-Language Communication in Business Contracts

• Tabber Benedict of New York urges founders, investors, and business owners to adopt clearer communication practices to reduce risk and improve decision-making.

New York, US, 30th January 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, Tabber B. Benedict, Founder and Managing Partner of Benedict Advisors PLLC, today announced a public push to raise awareness around a growing but often overlooked issue in the lower middle market: the lack of clear, accessible contract communication for entrepreneurs and business operators. Benedict is calling on companies to adopt plain-language summaries alongside traditional agreements to help leaders make faster, smarter, and more confident decisions.

“I’ve worked on major transactions for more than 25 years, and the number one problem I still see is that people don’t struggle with the clauses — they struggle with the implications,” Benedict said. “We can fix that by making legal and financial information clearer from the start.”

Research shows that 65% of small and mid-sized business owners do not fully understand at least one major contract they’ve signed, according to a 2023 SMB Market Report. Meanwhile, poor comprehension of long-term obligations accounts for an estimated $1.2 billion in preventable losses each year among lower middle-market companies. Benedict believes the solution isn’t more complexity — it’s clarity.

Why This Matters

Benedict’s call for action stems from decades of negotiating complex deals and guiding companies through high-stakes decisions. He noted that entrepreneurs frequently face institutional-level obligations without institutional-level support.

“Many founders can’t justify a full-time general counsel, yet they’re asked to sign documents with million-dollar consequences,” Benedict explained. “Clear communication shouldn’t be a luxury service. It should be a basic standard.”

He argues that the rise of fractional executive support shows a pressing need for better, more digestible information flow across legal, financial, and operational teams.

“We live in a market where speed matters, but speed without understanding is dangerous,” he said. “Plain-language summaries bridge that gap. They give people true decision-making power.”

What People Can Do Today

Benedict emphasized that individuals and business owners can take action immediately — without hiring a law firm or investing in new software.

He recommends three simple steps:

1. Ask for a plain-language explanation of every major obligation before signing.
   “If you don’t know what a clause means in real life, ask until you do. That’s not aggressive — it’s responsible,” he said.

2. Use handwritten notes to clarify key points.
   “Writing slows your thinking just enough to make it sharper,” Benedict noted. “I’ve done this for decades. I still do it today.”

3. Pause when needed.
   “The best deal is sometimes the one you walk away from,” he added. “Clarity gives you the confidence to make that choice when necessary.”

A Call for Cultural Change

Benedict is encouraging leaders — especially in the lower middle market — to adopt a new cultural mindset: clarity before complexity.

“When people understand what they’re agreeing to, negotiations become more honest, businesses become sturdier, and relationships last longer,” he said. “This is not about simplifying the work. It’s about strengthening the outcome.”

He also believes that increased transparency can reduce conflict and litigation, improve investor-founder alignment, and help companies grow with fewer preventable setbacks.

“Information is power, but only if you can understand it,” he said. “This is one of the simplest changes we can make, and the impact is enormous.”

Call to Action

Benedict urges founders, operators, investors, and advisors to begin implementing plain-language practices immediately — not through large structural overhauls, but through small daily decisions.

“You don’t need a new system or a new department,” Benedict said. “Just start asking for clarity, writing things down, and taking the time to fully understand your commitments. Those small steps change everything.”

About Tabber B. Benedict

Tabber B. Benedict is the Founder and Managing Partner of Benedict Advisors PLLC, a New York-based law firm providing BigLaw-trained, partner-level legal support to lower middle-market businesses. A graduate of Columbia Law School, Benedict spent over 25 years working with major institutions including White & Case LLP, Schulte Roth & Zabel, the White House, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and ACE Limited (now Chubb). He and his partners have closed more than $100 billion in transactions. Benedict Advocates for clearer communication, stronger leadership practices, and accessible legal understanding for growing businesses.