BEST ENDEAVORS

A term commonly found in commercial contracts, that places upon the party given such an undertaking, the obligation to use all efforts necessary to fulfill it. "Best endeavors" places a party under a stricter obligation than "reasonable endeavors." It is equivalent to the "best efforts" term widely used in securities markets.

The legal interpretation of a "best endeavors" obligation, is that it places upon the party the onus of making every reasonable effort, to achieve the desired objective. In contrast, the "reasonable endeavors" obligation, may require the party to take no more than a single course of action. The lines between "best endeavors" and "reasonable endeavors" can sometimes be blurred, which may result in the parties involved taking the matter to court. In such cases, the court may assess a number of factors before arriving at its decision, such as the extent of the efforts made, commercial viability and the presence of conflicting obligations.