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paid plus consequential damages arising from a breach of anagreement), forum selection becomes much more important ifand when the parties are residents of different states. In suchcircumstances, if parties do not stipulate to a specific state court,the dispute could end up in Federal Court which increases litigation cost and extends the time frame for a final adjudicationsubstantially. In those instances, your “Choice of Law/Venueand Forum” clause should read like so:The laws of the State of Arizona shall govern this Agreement. Theparties hereto irrevocable consent to the personal jurisdiction ofthe State of Arizona. In the event of a dispute arising out of thisAgreement, the parties hereto mutually agree that it shall be resolved exclusively in a State court of appropriate jurisdictionin Maricopa County, Arizona.Here the underlined text cements the parties’ respective consent to the state’s jurisdiction even if they have no other ties tothe state besides the specific transaction contemplated and prevents an out of state party from attempting to bring the matterbefore a federal bench.In the absence of the Choice of Law, Venue and Forum clauses,these matters can become extremely complicated. If you are engaging in a transaction to buy, sell or lease a horse to a party outside of your state of residence, or importing or shipping breedingmaterial, and a dispute erupts over a breach of contract, you mayend up entangled in legal battles in places you would never haveimagined.Making sure you anticipate the possibility of the transactionnot going smoothly when you draft an agreement is critically important. The amount of time and resources dedicated to doing alittle preventative planning will be but a fraction of what the tollon you could be if you take shortcuts. Having a qualified lawyerwith experience in the type of transaction you are engaging in todraft or review the documents may well be the best insurance. oAdam M. Trenk, Esq. (licensed in AZ, OK & KY) is a Partner at Rose Law Group pc (www.RoseLawGroup.com). He is the Chair of theEquine and Cannabis Law Departments for the firm. Adam advises clientson matters of Strategic Development, Contracts, Real Estate & Land UseMatters, Conflict Resolution, Regulatory Compliance and Government Relations. As an avid horseman, he is active in the Equine Community.Adam served as an Elected Councilman and Vice Mayor of Cave Creek, AZ and currently sits on the Advisory Board for the Scottsdale CommunityCollege Equine Science Program. He is also the President of Billy CookHarness & Saddle Mfg., Inc. in Sulphur, Oklahoma. Adam can be contacted by email, ATrenk@RoseLawGroup.com, or by phone 602-402-3335.Like him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EquineAttorneys. Follow him on InstaGram @theLawHorse and @GenuineBillyCook.20 Arizona Horse Connection May, 2026