# Suits > Suits means all claims, actions, or proceedings, either civil or criminal, including appeals, regardless of being active or potential. **Term:** Suits **Last updated:** 2026-07-29 ## Definition ## What Suits Means in a Contract Suits is a broad umbrella term used in contracts to describe any formal legal proceeding, whether it is a civil lawsuit, a criminal prosecution, an administrative action, or an appeal arising from any of these. When a contract refers to Suits, it is signaling that the obligations tied to that word, such as indemnification, defense, or cooperation duties, are not limited to a narrow category of litigation. Instead, the term is designed to sweep in the full range of legal actions that could touch the parties or the subject matter of the agreement. The inclusion of Suits in a contract is most commonly found alongside related terms like claims, demands, and actions, forming a chain of language meant to leave no gap in coverage. Because litigation can take many procedural forms depending on the forum and the nature of the dispute, drafters use Suits as a catch-all so that a party cannot later argue a particular type of proceeding falls outside the scope of a protective clause. ## How Suits Is Defined or Measured Unlike terms that require calculation or a formula, Suits is defined descriptively rather than measured numerically. A contract will typically state that Suits includes claims, actions, or proceedings, whether civil or criminal, and whether actual or threatened, and whether at the trial or appellate level. This descriptive definition establishes the boundaries of the term rather than assigning it a quantifiable value. Some agreements further clarify the definition by listing examples, such as regulatory investigations, arbitration proceedings, or administrative hearings, to ensure that Suits is read expansively rather than restrictively. The scope can also be shaped by qualifying language, for instance limiting Suits to those arising out of or relating to the agreement, which ties the definition back to the subject matter of the contract rather than leaving it entirely open ended. - Civil actions, including breach of contract or tort claims - Criminal prosecutions connected to the subject matter of the agreement - Appeals from any underlying proceeding - Threatened or potential actions that have not yet been formally filed ## Where Suits Appears in Agreements The term Suits most frequently appears in indemnification clauses, where one party agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the other party against Suits brought by third parties. It also appears in insurance provisions, representations and warranties sections, and dispute resolution clauses that describe how the parties will handle litigation that arises during or after the term of the agreement. Suits is common across many types of commercial agreements, including service contracts, licensing agreements, and employment contracts, and it shows up across a wide range of sectors, from