---
name: executive-summaries
title: Executive Summaries
description: Generates decision-ready executive summaries from complex legal documents for senior lawyers, executives, and clients. Use when condensing contracts, opinions, litigation findings, regulatory reports, or governance materials into stakeholder-ready work product.
author: CaseMark
author_url: https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/executive-summaries
license: Apache-2.0
version: 0.1.0
execution_mode: open
jurisdiction: general
practice: general
language: en
---

# Executive Summaries

Distills complex legal documents into standalone, decision-ready summaries with audience-tailored language, risk/deadline prominence, and actionable conclusions.

## Quick Start

Gather before drafting:

1. **Source materials** — full document(s) to summarize
2. **Audience** — senior lawyer, business executive, or client
3. **Purpose** — decision, meeting, or action being prepared for

## Output Structure

Produce a titled document artifact (1–3 pages). Use clear headings, short paragraphs, selective bold. Favor structured prose over excessive lists.

| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| **Overview** | One paragraph: what the document addresses and why it matters |
| **Background** | Essential facts only — parties, dates, amounts, governing instruments |
| **Key Issues** | Central legal questions or issues at stake |
| **Findings & Analysis** | Material conclusions, risk factors; cite sections/exhibits for critical facts |
| **Conclusions** | Bottom-line results; reflect nuance where underlying document is uncertain |
| **Recommendations / Next Steps** | Specific actions with deadlines and risks called out prominently |

## Audience Calibration

| Audience | Emphasis |
|---|---|
| Senior lawyer | Technical detail, legal citations, procedural posture |
| Business executive | Business implications, financial exposure, decision impact |
| Client | Plain language: what findings mean and what to do next |

## Checks

- **Accuracy** — never overstate conclusions, minimize risks, or inject opinions absent from source
- **Deadlines & risks** — feature prominently with proposed mitigation
- **Privilege** — mark appropriately if privileged material is included; characterize with confidentiality in mind
- **Standalone** — reader should not need the underlying documents for basic comprehension
- **Brevity** — omit procedural detail and background unless directly relevant to the decision