After some pointed questions to elucidate the nature of the transaction, the character of the other party and deal points, Lance drafted a seemingly innocuous agreement that was promptly signed. Apparently, that was Lance’s intent. Some six months later, however, that agreement came back to haunt the other party, who realized he’d been tied up in knots as a result of his trying to circumvent me and the agreement. But Lance had anticipated this; not only did he prevent the deceit, but he inserted a provision in the agreement that would have caused the other party to owe me nearly half a million dollars. As a consequence, the other party has turned from a lion into a pussycat, and I’m a much wealthier man.
