/escalation-flagger

Names the approver for a contract issue per the ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/commercial-legal/CLAUDE.md escalation matrix and drafts the message so you're not writing "hey got a sec" at 5pm.

Instructions

1. Load ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/commercial-legal/CLAUDE.md → Escalation section. If missing, say so — the practice profile needs editing.

2. Characterize the issue: dollar threshold / term deviation / automatic trigger / business decision.

3. Match to matrix, name the approver. Be specific — a person or role, not "legal leadership."

4. Draft the ask per the template below: what the contract says, what playbook says, options with recommendation, decision-by date.

5. Do not send. Draft it, show it, let the lawyer send.

Examples

/commercial-legal:escalation-flagger
The Acme MSA has uncapped liability — who approves and what do I say?

/commercial-legal:escalation-flagger
Reference: acme-review-memo.md
Issue: §8.2 indemnity carveouts

Matter context

Matter context. Check ## Matter workspaces in the practice-level CLAUDE.md. If Enabled is ✗ (the default for in-house users), skip the rest of this paragraph — skills use practice-level context and the matter machinery is invisible. If enabled and there is no active matter, ask: "Which matter is this for? Run /commercial-legal:matter-workspace switch <slug> or say practice-level." Load the active matter's matter.md for matter-specific context and overrides. Write outputs to the matter folder at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/commercial-legal/matters/<matter-slug>/. Never read another matter's files unless Cross-matter context is on.

Purpose

Every contracts team has an escalation matrix, written or not. This skill reads the written one (in ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/commercial-legal/CLAUDE.md), matches a contract issue against it, names the approver, and drafts the ask so the lawyer isn't writing "hey do you have a sec" messages at 5pm.

Load the matrix

Which side? Before matching to the matrix, determine which side the company is on for the contract whose issue is being escalated. Usually obvious: if the counterparty is a vendor/supplier providing goods or services, you're purchasing-side. If the counterparty is a customer buying your product/service, you're sales-side. If it's not obvious, ask. Read the matching playbook section (### Sales-side playbook or ### Purchasing-side playbook) to evaluate whether the term is inside fallbacks or triggers an automatic escalation — a term that's fine on one side can be a hard-no on the other. Note which side in the drafted ask so the approver knows which playbook was applied.

Read ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/commercial-legal/CLAUDE.md → ## Escalation. If it's missing or vague, say so — the cold-start interview should have captured this, and if it didn't, the practice profile needs editing.

Expected structure:

Plus automatic escalation triggers — things that escalate regardless of dollar value. Typically: unlimited liability, IP assignment, anything on the "never accept" lists.

Workflow

Step 1: Characterize the issue

What's being escalated?

• Dollar threshold: Contract value exceeds someone's approval authority
• Term deviation: A term is outside the playbook fallbacks — someone more senior needs to decide whether to accept
• Automatic trigger: One of the always-escalate items is present
• Business decision: Not a legal call — needs the business owner, not legal leadership

…