Battle of Forms

Editorial Committee of the Cambridge Law Journal
BATTLE OF THE FORMS: RESTATING THE ORTHODOX

Author(s): Phillip Morgan
Source: The Cambridge Law Journal, Vol. 69, No. 2 (July 2010), pp. 230-232
Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of Editorial Committee of the
Cambridge Law Journal
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230 The Cambridge Law Journal [20 1 0]
had been confined to a wheelchair as a result of events sp

personal injury in the workplace. Moreover, the loss wou
the employer's insurer.
Finally, it is worth noting that the insurers had taken
L.J. regarded as "the sensible view that, with a stoica
was evidently determined to rehabilitate himself as far a
best course lay in assisting him to do so and in not se
(at [6]). With hindsight the insurers may take a differen
had agreed damages before the second injury then t
have had to pay out a notional sum to cover the possib
injury; that sum would have been significantly lower
which they are now liable. Insurers will no doubt be
possibility in future cases where initial liability is accept
Kirsty Hughes
BATTLE OF THE FORMS: RESTATING THE ORTHODOX
Butler Machine Tool Company v. Ex-cell-0 Corporation [1

1 W.L.R. 401 adopts a "last shot" approach to "battle of forms
An offer to buy containing the purchaser's terms, which is follow
an acknowledgement containing the seller's terms, which is follow
delivery, generally results in a contract on the seller's terms, the
terms being a counter-offer.
The question in Tekdata Interconnection Ltd v. Amphenol
EWCA Civ 1209, [2010] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 357 was whether in the
of forms" there can be circumstances in which a traditional offer and
acceptance analysis can be displaced by reference to the conduct of the
parties over a long-term relationship.
The parties to the case were part of a chain of suppliers and had
been doing business for many years. Tekdata acquired components
from Amphenol. Tekdata's purchase orders stated that the purchase
was to be on Tekdata's own terms. Amphenol acknowledged the
orders by sending an acknowledgment to Tekdata which stated that
Amphenol's terms were to apply. A dispute arose and both parties
alleged that the contract was on their own terms.
The traditional view is that if no further documentation passed be-
tween the parties and if Tekdata took delivery of the components, the
contract would be on the terms of Amphenol's acknowledgement.
However, in Butler, whilst siding with the majority, Lord Denning
M.R. gave an alternative analysis. He saw the traditional analysis
of offer, counter-offer, rejection and acceptance as out of date, and
declared that even though there may be differences between the forms
C.L.J. Case and Comment 231
the better way is to glean from

parties or from their conduct whet
all material points. Relying upon
that Tekdata's terms were to appl
tended that Amphenol's terms sh
The Court of Appeal reversed th
the leading judgment accepted t
abandoning the traditional analys
and acceptance analysis was appli
Court, and even in the end by Lo
similar words in the earlier case o
[1978] 1 W.L.R. 520, 523 were dis
of Lords [1979] 1 W.L.R. 294.
Longmore L.J. reasserted the t
analysis; however, he noted limit
documents passing between th
that their common intention was that some other terms were in-
tended to prevail" (at [1 1]). This intention will be difficult to show in a
battle of forms case, unless there is a clear course of dealing between the
parties.
The factors that pointed towards such a common intention in the
case were deemed insufficient to displace the result given by the tra-
ditional offer and acceptance analysis, and demonstrate that such a
common intention will rarely be found. Unknown to Tekdata,
Amphenol had a (then expired) agreement with a party up the con-
tractual chain who also required Tekdata to obtain components from
Amphenol. However, that party did not require Tekdata to contract
with Amphenol on any particular terms. The terms of that agreement
and Tekdata's own terms were not the same, and its importance was
limited since the parties had an opportunity to agree a single set of
terms, but did not do so. Further, whilst Amphenol signed a certificate
of conformance as required by Tekdata's terms, it was noted that par-
ties to contracts often do things which they are not obliged to do. Post-
dispute correspondence was considered of limited use. Further, the
importance of delivery times and quality control was dismissed as a
common position in commercial relationships.
Dyson L.J. agreed with Longmore L.J. Whilst accepting that the
last shot doctrine may depend on chance and is potentially arbitrary, he
stated that the rules which govern the formation of contracts are long
established, and that the traditional offer and acceptance analysis is to
be generally applied in battle of forms cases. He justified this on the
ground that it provides a degree of certainty which is desirable and
necessary in order to promote effective commercial relationships.
Whilst the general rule applies in a simple battle of forms case, in other
232 The Cambridge Law Journal [20 1 0]
cases there may be an exception based on an assessment

parties must objectively be taken to have intended.
For Dyson L.J. this was not a case within the exceptio
were unable to show that Amphenol's acknowledgment
qualified acceptance of Tekdata's offer. The words o
knowledgment referring to Amphenol's terms had contr
and could not be ignored since the parties had not expressly
they were to be ignored, nor was such an agreement necessa
able from the circumstances of the case.
Pill L.J., whilst agreeing that the focus is on what the parties must
be taken, objectively, to have intended at the time when the contract
was made, added a gloss that there could be a case in which a court
would be entitled to conclude that one of the parties had not intended
that terms and conditions attached to its acknowledgement would
apply.
Although the Court of Appeal restated the traditional analysis
to battle of forms cases, it noted that in rare situations it is possible
to arrive at the conclusion that the purchaser's terms are to apply.
This would happen when it is clear that neither party ever intended
the seller's terms to apply and always intended the purchaser's
terms would apply. In order to promote commercial certainty and to
reduce the scope for litigation this exception should be narrowly con-
fined.
Whilst a traditional offer and acceptance analysis is not always

without its difficulties, for example where there are multilateral con-
tracts (H. Beale (ed.) Chitty on Contracts, 30th ed., (London 2009),
paras. 2-1 10- 2-1 1 1) the Court of Appeal was correct to refuse to accept
Lord Denning's outright rejection of the traditional analysis, as it rests
on insufficient precedential foundation, and is questionable after
Gibson. His approach also provides insufficient guidance in determin-
ing if, or indeed on what terms, an agreement has been reached. The
traditional analysis achieves commercial certainty and is well known to
businessmen.
Phillip Morgan
UNLAWFUL TAX: TANTALIZING GLIMPSES OF RESTITUTION
Two recent decisions of the Court of Appeal involved claims for r

tution of tax which it was alleged had been levied in breach of EU
The claim in Test Claimants in the Franked Investment Group Lit
v. Commissioners of the Inland Revenue [2010] EWCA Civ 103
was referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union to

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Editorial Committee of the Cambridge Law Journal

BATTLE OF THE FORMS: RESTATING THE ORTHODOX

had been confined to a wheelchair as a result of events sp

BATTLE OF THE FORMS: RESTATING THE ORTHODOX

Butler Machine Tool Company v. Ex-cell-0 Corporation [1

the better way is to glean from

cases there may be an exception based on an assessment

Whilst a traditional offer and acceptance analysis is not always

UNLAWFUL TAX: TANTALIZING GLIMPSES OF RESTITUTION

Two recent decisions of the Court of Appeal involved claims for r

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