THE MANHATTAN DIVORCE CONTRACT

Manhattan M&A lawyer Claire Walker holds a billion-dollar cross-border deal for Chinese company Lantu Group. Her client demands she eliminate all personal legal risks. Amid a pending separation and her ex-husband's claims on her assets, Julian Crawford—heir to the Crawford family law firm—offers her a three-year contractual marriage: a union designed to merge client rosters and professional reputations. She signs the contract, moves into his Upper East Side townhouse, and steps into a web woven by old Edward and Elliott. The contract is both shield and blade; marriage and M&A run on the same due diligence checklist.