E. Allan Farnsworth, a legal scholar whose writings on contract disputes have become a standard reference in courtrooms and law schools, died on Jan. 31 at his home in Englewood, N.J. He was 76.
The cause was prostate cancer, said his wife, Patricia.
A professor at Columbia Law School, Mr. Farnsworth was considered the country's foremost legal authority on contracts, an area of law that often lacks the guidance of specific statutes and relies on court precedent.
He spent more than 50 years studying and explaining the legal underpinnings of contracts, whether written or oral, commercial or private. . . .
"[Y]ou cite 'Farnsworth on Contracts,' and the judge says, 'That must be right,' " said Rayner Hamilton, a retired partner at White & Case and former head of its international arbitration practice. "Farnsworth was just the epitome of credibility."
That's pretty high praise. Details here from the New York Times. (via Ms. Blish Maclean)