What is a 2026 contract management playbook for investment firms, and why is it critical now?

It’s a strategic guide for standardizing processes, technology, and controls across the contract lifecycle to meet rising regulatory demands and enable organizational agility ahead of market volatility.

What are the fastest actions to improve contract management within the first 90 days?

Form a cross-functional squad, pilot AI-powered contract review to cut cycle time and deviations, and refresh approval workflows tied to risk thresholds.

How can contract management improve fund performance and fee realization?

By reducing legal and operational risk, tightening obligation tracking, and enforcing fee structures consistently across agreements to prevent leakage.

Which contract types should investment firms prioritize for review and optimization?

Investment management agreements (IMAs), limited partnership agreements (LPAs), side letters, NDAs, and vendor contracts should be prioritized for standardization and risk reduction.

How do investment firms align contract management with regulatory and ESG requirements?

Update templates with ESG clauses, maintain clear approval workflows, and conduct regular compliance training and gap assessments with auditable evidence.